Genin to Hokage
by CaptainLaughs
Summary: An alternate universe take on Naruto. Characters may be a little older and more professional. Countries and individuals may have more varied political agendas. Good guys are allowed to be subtle, and madmen may be more willing to exploit their advantages to achieve their goals. Idealism and boyish enthusiasm may move hearts and minds, but will not win wars without a little help.
1. Team 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

"All three of you…PASS!"

"What!" Sakura and Naruto shouted. Even Sasuke's impassive mask had cracked, although he didn't say anything out loud.

"You are the first," Kakashi told them. "Every other team I tested would just do as they were told, even when it harmed their teammates and the team itself. I told you that this test is designed to set you against each other, and that the point is to see if you overcome the circumstances and pull together as a group…even after having the answer explained to them, most teams get it wrong. In the ninja world, many say that those who break the rules are trash…but I say that people who don't look out for their teammates are worse."

Naruto's opinion of his sensei improved dramatically in a few seconds. This may have been more because of the good news than any objective assessment, but the spirit of Kakashi's comments agreed with his own way of thinking enough that it was almost instantly incorporated into his own beliefs.

"Of course, the test is also meant to let me see your stealth and combat abilities firsthand, but the most important part is teamwork. It's been said that any given team is only as strong as its weakest member, but that's not exactly right. It is more accurate to say that the strength of a team is determined by their ability to cooperate rather than by individual talents and skills. Now, before I let you go for the day, we'll be discussing the most basic responsibility that ninjas have, so listen up."

The three were still riding their emotional high, but managed to give something vaguely resembling their full attention.

"Now that you are officially genin of the village, the first thing to do is to clarify your duties in the event the village comes under a surprise attack," Kakashi began, striking a more serious tone. "Every ninja of any rank has an assigned post and place in the command structure in case that happens. If you are training with me at the time, I'll give you orders, but you could also be asleep at home, out grocery shopping, or anywhere else in the village. If you're near other ninjas, report in to the closest chuunin or jounin. In an emergency situation, getting help quickly is often the most important thing. So if you see team eight's sensei down the street, for example, go to her immediately, report any relevant information you have, and she'll give you orders. If you don't see a command-level ninja, report to the closest rally point-you'll need to memorize where they all are. I'll give you a list at the end of this discussion."

"The first priority, if an attack occurs, is to ensure that the alarm is sounded. We have people on the walls and there are patrols around the perimeter, but any security can be bypassed. No wall is indestructible or impenetrable. If Sasuke and I are near the wall and there's a small breach, it's possible no one else will see it. In that case, I would likely order Sasuke to immediately proceed to the closest alarm station and report in to spread the word as fast as possible. Hesitating in a situation like that can cost lives, so you have to obey quickly."

"If you're on your own, with no one senior around, the same basic rules apply. Get a warning out. Do not try to stop an attack all by yourself. If you see a way to slow the enemy down, or make them hesitate, then you have to weigh the chance of success against the risk of being spotted. But above all, warn the village. ANBU and others are ready for an attack at a moment's notice, but they can't act until they find out it's time. Telling them ten seconds sooner, or even one, could save many lives."

"If the enemy corners you, it may be difficult to get free and spread word. In that case, setting off an explosive tag may be the best choice. That will draw attention. If the enemy hasn't spotted you, attention is bad, but if they already know you're there, there's no downside, and it could bring reinforcements quickly."

"The last part of these orders is the most difficult one of all. As ninja, you are expected to be more than a simple tool. You must also think and analyze. You must use your own judgment and abilities, and if it is appropriate you should ignore general orders to deal with a specific situation. You may have to do this if you have information a superior does not. In combat, there is not always time to explain things and ask for help, or orders, so you may end up on your own. Can any of you give me an example of when you might need to do this?" He looked at his students for a moment. "Sakura?"

Sakura thought for a moment before responding. "Well…if we are alone and we see enemy ninjas on the way out of the village instead of the way in, and there is no alarm, we probably shouldn't make noise. Because then they'll know that we saw them. If it's too late to stop them already, then we should probably spot their trail instead, and either follow it or report in quietly, so they can be tracked down later. If any of them drops something, we could pick it up to use for scent-tracking once they move on."

"An excellent example, Sakura," Kakashi said approvingly. "Remember, to ninjas information is often the most valuable commodity. It would be much better for our forces to be able to track escaping enemies, and if they know they've been detected they may obscure their trail more thoroughly, or kill you - or both."

"Sasuke, what about you?" Kakashi asked his next pupil. "Can you think of another time when it might be best not to report an enemy intrusion or attack?"

"If the enemy were taking captives, and thought one of us was a civilian, then it might be wise for us to play along," Sasuke answered. "Against numerous experienced enemies, we would likely die, while a captive can obtain information or freedom with time. In the event of a counter-attack, we might also be well-placed to disrupt the enemy from behind their lines, creating an opening for other allies ninjas to exploit."

"Good," said Kakashi, "although it is unlikely any of you could fool an enemy of chuunin level or above into thinking you a total civilian. Your training shows in the way you move and observe. In time, you will learn to hide those cues, especially if you show talent for undercover or infiltration missions." He turned to his last student. "What about you, Naruto? Can you think of another occasion when reporting in might not be the highest priority?"

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto responded enthusiastically. "I know it's important for ninjas to do our duty, but if an attack is obvious, then our report won't be needed. In that case, we should protect the people who live here, not waste time! After all, that's why we're learning in the first place."

From there, the discussion covered a variety of other points concerning what would be expected of fresh genin. None were nearly as interesting as the prospect of fending off a surprise attack by enemy ninjas, and Kakashi could feel the interest of his three pupils waning. In fairness, they were likely quite tired and hungry at this point, so he soon wrapped up and let them go.

"Meet me here at the same time tomorrow. You are allowed to eat breakfast, and I won't keep you waiting so long this time," he said, dismissing them. "You're all truly ninja now, which means you'll be facing growing responsibilities, but for tonight you can celebrate."

…

The three teammates spent their nights in different ways. Sakura was wildly enthusiastic, and celebrated with her family. Her parents had some second thoughts about their daughter's career now that it was more of a present concern and less of a future possibility, but silenced their worries to avoid spoiling her night, instead telling her of their genuine pride. While neither of Sakura's parents were ninja, she was not the first in the family tree, and her grandmother told the story of how she met her now-deceased husband, a then-young ninja of the Leaf whose squad was employed by her own father, a merchant. Sakura was quite pleased when the woman said that she thought her husband would be proud to have her following in his footsteps.

Naruto had similar feelings, but celebrated with ramen, as anyone who knew even a little about him might have expected. He was aided and abetted by Umino Iruka, who was relieved that his former students (and especially Naruto) had passed Hatake Kakashi's test, and paid for the meal.

Uchiha Sasuke went back to his apartment, cooked simply and ate a quiet dinner alone. He wasn't precisely happy, but he did feel satisfaction after overcoming a hurdle that stood between him and his goals. After dinner, he felt an impulse and looked toward his bed, his thoughts turning – as they often did – to the box in a concealed compartment underneath. He delayed himself for over an hour by studying declassified versions of after-action reports from missions, but soon gave in, retrieving the box from under his bed and opening it to remove a single photograph.

It was unique, in that he no longer had any other pictures of the subject. He stared at the young face which looked much like his own, until he finally whispered, "I'm one step closer, brother. I'm coming." An outside observer would have found it difficult to guess if he even knew he spoke. Unraveling the emotions behind the words would be more difficult still.

It was long minutes later that he returned the photo to its accustomed place, and hours before he slept.

…

The next day, Naruto's sense of excitement was an early casualty of his first mission. It didn't even last through the mercifully-short briefing. After pointing out that the mission, if it was so easy, shouldn't take long, Kakashi managed to get his team moving with minimal scolding. Soon, the trio had successfully caught Tora, one of the pets belonging to Madam Shijimi, wife of the feudal lord of the Fire Country.

The woman often seemed to be missing one or another of her many pet animals. The Hokage had long since determined that this was a part of the persona she wore. Among other things, it gave her an excuse to interact with the new genin teams who were invariably sent to retrieve her pets, if only briefly. Most kages did not die peacefully, and while Sarutobi Hiruzen's age was a sign of his skill in combat, he considered the woman before him an excellent example of political acuity and strove to stay at her level at times, despite his many years of experience.

The way she smothered her pet, the carelessness with which she paid the accountant sitting next to him…every action she took reinforced the appearance that she was an unintelligent but affectionate woman, and Sarutobi suspected that of those in the room, only Kakashi and himself noticed her eyes marking the three young genin and lingering a second longer on both Naruto and Sasuke than their female comrade.

The woman was not only intelligent but clever enough to conceal the fact effectively, even from many ninja. She was known as a social butterfly and for being fond of her sake, though not to a scandalous extent. Sarutobi had noticed, over the years, that while she was merry on many occasions she rarely seemed truly drunk even when those around her were…and those in her company often found her a ready, willing and discrete confidant. He sometimes wondered if more of the country's political and economic challenges were dealt with unofficially at her parties and social engagements than in the room where the fire lord received his guests and petitioners.

Keeping his thoughts to himself, he exchanged the customary courtesies with her before she departed, then turned back to Kakashi and his genin. The jounin had kept Naruto quiet to avoid a scene while a guest was present, but the boy refused to be silenced any longer.

"That was ridiculous! We're ninjas, anyone can catch a cat! You've gotta give us a better mission this time!" The yellow-haired boy shouted.

"Naruto, I've already explained how missions are divided among ninja twice…you know these aren't just simple errands, they're also about building teamwork and other things-" Kakashi began, a note of fatigued tolerance in his voice.

"Oh come on!" Naruto interrupted. "What can we possibly learn from catching a cat?"

The Hokage cleared his throat, and the two were instantly silent as they turned toward him. "A good question, Naruto. Answer it."

"…What?" the boy asked in confusion.

"If you are to be a ninja, you must see underneath the underneath. What can you and your teammates learn from catching a runaway cat?"

The boy's face grew more serious, as he began to analyze the matter despite himself. His irritation at the mission and eagerness to be doing more interesting things came up against his desire to avoid looking stupid and his respect for the Hokage (who was a pretty nice guy in Naruto's estimation, even if he was an old geezer).

"Well…I guess we have to practice stealth, to sneak up on it. And we had to avoid hurting it, which adds to the challenge…"

"I want all three of you to answer something for me," The Hokage said, addressing the genin. "You all thought the capture was easy, I imagine…but was it as easy as you would expect?"

"No," Sasuke answered after a moment's deliberation. "While the task was accomplished quickly, the cat seemed surprisingly adept at sensing our approach."

"In fact," Sakura followed up on his answer, "I think it would have taken a lot longer for any one of us to catch it alone, even Sasuke, which is weird. I mean, it's just a cat, but we only grabbed it so soon by coordinating our movements."

"Good reasoning," the Hokage complimented them. "As it happens, that particular cat has run away multiple times in the past, and been brought back by other genin teams. Over time, it has become more difficult, as its senses are now better at detecting ninja. Now, let us return briefly to my first question. In the last few moments, this mission has allowed you all to practice your analysis skills, which are vital for a ninja. And while in progress, it forced you to create a plan while in motion and coordinate your movements, as you said. Before this discussion, had any of you thought about these lessons?"

They all shook their heads. Iruka smiled in fondness, but also noted how easily the Hokage – sometimes called "The Professor" for his knowledge of techniques and ability to teach – took up the role of teacher and guided the thinking of three young people. This, he often suspected, was one of the reasons the village's leader oversaw handing out missions to new genin. He certainly could have had someone else do it if he wished. The chuunin also reflected that he would have to be careful; he had almost said something when Naruto interrupted Kakashi, but doing so would be inappropriate, since he was no longer the boy's teacher.

"In the future," the Hokage continued, "I expect each of you to spend some time thinking about what you have learned from each mission. We don't train you because it amuses us. We do it so that, when the harder missions come, you will survive. What you three learned about planning and collaborating in a hurry could easily save your lives if you come under attack."

They were sufficiently chastened and thoughtful after that discussion that even Naruto didn't complain when they received their next mission assignment to help a farming family that was temporarily short a few hands. He complained later, of course, but by then they were already halfway done. Kakashi was thankful for the reprieve, and thoughts of what the missions ahead would be like nearly drove him to despair for a moment when Sakura also voiced some dissatisfaction. He was grateful for Sasuke's quiet nature, since it meant that at least all three of his students were not complaining at the same time.

…

END CHAPTER

Kakashi's notes: Team 7 preliminary assessment

Uchiha Sasuke shows all the signs of becoming a ninjutsu specialist with significant taijutsu capability. He already knows one of his elemental affinities (the clan as a whole has historically been adept at fire techniques, so it is likely his primary one). This should make him the easiest for me to train overall, since his strengths are mostly the same as mine. If he awakens his bloodline limit, our styles will likely grow even more similar. I will have to ensure he does not overestimate its capabilities or remain ignorant of its weaknesses. He may also be prepared to discover a secondary elemental affinity fairly soon, since he seems to have a good grasp of fire techniques already. I need to drive home that variety is key for a ninjutsu specialist.

Uzumaki Naruto has extremely high chakra reserves, as expected, and displays talent with the shadow clone technique. He also has an ability to devise relatively simple, but effective tactical deceptions on the fly, particularly by combining shadow clones with the basic transformation and substitution techniques. Needs some help with his basics, particularly taijutsu form and chakra molding and use. Beyond that, the main challenge will be teaching him to exploit his chakra reserves effectively without relying too much on them. Instruction at the academy may have been sub-par at times, so further evaluation is warranted before settling on a long-term training plan.

Haruno Sakura has an excellent analytical mind, better at depth if a bit slower to develop tactics in the heat of the moment. Her chakra molding and control are superbly efficient and precise. She may need help ensuring she has a sufficiently broad store of techniques, so it could be prudent to work on discovering her elemental affinity as soon as possible. This is particularly true in light of the fact that she is not part of a clan, and so does not have family techniques to learn. Fine control is an asset for anyone, but can be especially key for genjutsu users. This could mesh favorably with her less blunt approach and aptitude for setting traps. In the short term, could also help her teammates practice recognizing and breaking genjutsu, even if she does not end up specializing in that field. Also, genjutsu specialists are uncommon enough that fewer ninjas have experience facing them. Still, I may have to wait a bit before trying that out; genjutsu are extremely difficult to manage.

Note: There seem to be some emotional ties between the trio, but I doubt they will cause significant problems. As long as these feelings are channeled properly they should not interfere with training. If anything, they may help motivate all three students.

…

Note to Readers (on continuity and the relationship to canon)

This is basically an alternate universe, though there is no single point of divergence from canon. The main plot will diverge in pretty significant ways, even drastically once I get far enough in. People may survive who didn't, or die at different times, and even major plot elements (such as what the villains are after) may be changed in some ways. With that said, most of the backstory is the same, at least in broad strokes. The attack of the Nine-tails and the Uchiha Massacre still took place, and Orochimaru's origins are unchanged, for example. I'll get to all the differences at some point down the line, and they should be explained clearly in-story, with one exception: in this universe, the younger characters are all a bit older when they graduate from the academy. This is partly because I think they'd mostly get slaughtered if they left they academy as young as they did in canon, and partly because I wanted them to start out a bit more mentally and emotionally mature. Assume they're two or three years older; not a lot, but those particular years can make a big difference.

Basically, I'm saying that the history textbooks of this alternate universe would be mostly the same as those of Naruto canon. The _public versions _of events are mostly unchanged. As we all know, however, the public version is often different from what _actually _happened.

The first major difference you're likely to notice is that Konoha will make an effort to train its genin.

As far as the starting point I chose, I basically picked it because everything before it is roughly the same, as I said. Any relevant changes will be addressed, but I didn't want to waste my time (or yours) retelling a very similar piece of the story (such as Naruto's encounter with Mizuki, or meeting Konohamaru). And as far as romantic relationships- they are not the main focus of the story, but may develop over time, since relationships of different kinds largely define characters. You'll have to be patient if you want to find out.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy the show. I'm mixing serious, funny, and action, stirring gently and seasoning to taste. We'll see about the results.


	2. Team 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

The days that followed Team 7's passing the bell test were mixed, from Naruto's perspective. Practicing combat techniques was fun, but for every enjoyable activity there seemed to be a boring one, like working on how to write mission reports or having to analyze briefing documents to pick out the key information. On the other hand, planning sessions based on real missions were interesting and he could tell that Kakashi's teachings were helping him improve his taijutsu. The movements felt more natural, smoother somehow; even after only a week, he could tell he was performing better in sparring matches.

He assumed Kakashi was just a good teacher, and the jounin refrained from pointing out that some of his academy instructors had been somewhat lax in ensuring his basics were up to par. Certain rhythms emerged in their training. They would often begin a session with sparring or other physical activities, then listen to Kakashi explain something while they caught their breath.

"All three of you have significant taijutsu capability, so it's likely that you'll want to learn an additional style in the future," Kakashi said one day after they finished sparring. "Sasuke, your current style is flexible, but occupies your hands fairly often. Given your talents with ninjutsu, it might be wise to learn a second style that focuses more on kicks, leaving your hands free. That goes for all three of you, to some extent. Basic styles taught at the academy are generally fairly well-rounded. That's good, since it doesn't leave you with major weaknesses or flaws, but you'll find that the longer you're a ninja the more specialized you're likely to become."

"Sakura, Naruto, it's not as clear to me where your strongest talents lie yet. Naruto, you have skill with shadow clones, and a tendency for misdirection using them in combination with basic ninjutsu. I think you'll most likely want to split your focus between ninjutsu and taijutsu pretty evenly. Sakura," he turned to address his third student, "you have exceptional chakra control. That opens up a few possibilities for you to try out. I think it will be worthwhile for you to attempt a few genjutsu and see how well they work for you, but that won't be for a little while yet."

"Specialization is tricky," Kakashi said. "Ideally, of course, we would all want to be experts at everything. But the fact is that people have different talents and there is only so much time we can spend learning. Overall, the three of you should be a pretty well-balanced team, able to cover each other's weaknesses with your strengths, which is good. If you find yourselves facing a group of opponents, victory and defeat will likely be determined by which one of you faces which opponent. To illustrate this point, I'd like you to look over there," he pointed behind them.

Team 7 was greeted by the sight of three unfamiliar ninjas with Leaf forehead protectors rushing toward them in a coordinated attack. Sasuke leapt backward and threw a handful of shuriken to give himself and his teammates some space, but the opponents deflected or dodged them all and kept coming. Still, it was enough to buy one or two precious seconds in which the genin could overcome their surprise. Sakura, who had frozen at first, began to evade as her opponent closed the gap between them, her training taking over. She tripped but managed to turn it into a backward roll and came up throwing a kunai. Her opponent, a brown-haired man with a weather-beaten and scarred face, caught the weapon and feinted a slash at her eyes. She twisted backward, bending her spine to dodge, and found herself unable to avoid the kick he aimed at her chest with his left leg. _I shouldn't have compromised my footing_, she thought as she landed on her back.

She couldn't manage a roll this time, but narrowly avoided landing on her wrist. The man took one step forward and sent his right leg smashing down in a kick at her stomach. She twisted onto her side to evade it and replied with a kick to his groin. It was armored, but the force of the blow was enough to halt his forward momentum so that she could scramble to her feet – or so she thought. As she recovered, he came in faster than before, hands a blur, and then everything went black.

Her teammates were preoccupied with their own problems. Sasuke had held off his enemy in hand-to-hand and gained some distance to use his grand fireball, but subsequently lost track of him. He heard the blond-haired, young-looking ninja approaching from behind and turned to face him, drawing one of his kunai, but then found himself knocked out as well. _Was that one of his teammates?_Sasuke wondered as the darkness descended over his thoughts.

Lastly, Naruto was finding his own engagement extremely frustrating. His opponent was a red-haired woman who seemed to disdain close combat, instead running around him in circles and using ninjutsu at range. He tried to close the distance in person and with his shadow clones, but she was destroying most of them as he created them. The clones dissipated when hit solidly and always popped into existence near their originator, meaning that an enemy who saw him forming the seal had an opportunity to destroy them in groups. She was using some sort of water technique to hit a wide area around him anytime he started to make clones. The force of her water also kept him from closing distance. Even when he tried to use the replacement technique to swap with rocks or other objects that were behind her, she caught on too quickly.

His clothes were soaked and water had gotten in his eyes, nose, ears and mouth repeatedly. Naruto was starting to get annoyed. Finally, he began using his exploding tags to corral the woman, and prevent her from setting up her techniques…just in time for her two teammates to come in from either side and knock him out.

When the three woke up and found no one there but Kakashi, they were relieved and annoyed simultaneously. Then they saw what looked like a smile on his face (or as much of Kakashi's face as they ever saw) and were just annoyed.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's the big idea!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke just looked a bit sullen, while Sakura was rubbing her head. "Who were those people! Where did they go? Why didn't you help?"

At this point, Kakashi held up a hand to forestall further questions. "Those were three chuunin who I asked to help in your training. Their attack was meant to accomplish several things. First, to give you all an idea what it is like to be caught by surprise. Most people instinctively freeze when that happens, and doing so can get you or your teammates killed. Second, you've each had a taste of what a chuunin is capable of, now. They weren't trying to kill you, obviously, but this experience should give you some perspective. Lastly…can anyone remember what we were talking about just before the attack?"

"Specialization," Sakura and Sasuke both answered after a moment. Kakashi nodded. "Describe your fights, particularly focusing on your opponents' strengths." They did so, though Naruto's retelling was a bit more spirited than his teammates', and Kakashi had to rein him in. "You each faced an opponent who was a particularly good match-up against you, someone who had you at a disadvantage. Sakura, you faced someone who relied on fast taijutsu, overwhelming you with speed. Naruto, your enemy knew that you liked to use shadow clones at close range, and kept you at a distance until her teammates surprised you from behind. Sasuke…do you know how you were beaten?" he asked.

"A teammate or genjutsu," the dark-haired boy replied after a moment. "That seems the only possible answer."

"Correct," Kakashi said. "A skillfully-employed illusion; you lost sight of your opponent for only a split second, but it was enough time for him to form the necessary seals. When you heard him and turned around, what you thought you saw was a false image. Your true opponent was a few paces to the side."

"All of you lost," Kakashi elaborated, "because you failed to work together. Sakura, either of your teammates would have had a better chance against a taijutsu specialist, and you were the one on the team most likely to notice an enemy's genjutsu, which is why they turned that technique on someone else. Sasuke, you might have been best able to cope with Naruto's opponent, since your techniques give you more medium- and long-range striking options than your teammates have right now. Naruto, your shadow clones would also have been useful against their genjutsu-user, since he would have to destroy them or risk wasting his techniques on a fake."

"Of course, you were at a doubly unfair disadvantage, facing an equal number of chuunin who had the element of surprise. They were also briefed on your skills before the attack, while you knew nothing about them. However," Kakashi noted, "this is far more realistic than a one-on-one sparring match against a teammate. Real battles are rarely fair. As ninja, it is part of our job to ensure that they are unfair in our favor whenever possible…and that we are ready for surprises even in friendly territory."

"This may not be the last simulated attack I arrange. I may drop hints in advance that will give you warning a specific attack is coming. Or, I might not. I suggest you be observant either way." He paused for a moment to let things sink in before continuing.

"With all that said, your performance was far from terrible. Sakura, you froze at first, but quickly overcame that hesitation. You didn't manage to take control of the fight, but you prolonged it more than I would have expected against that particular opponent. Sasuke, that genjutsu probably would have fooled some chuunin, and if you had seen through it I would have been shocked. Other than that, your hand-to-hand defense was competent, and it looked like your seal-making speed was a bit faster than it usually is in practice. Naruto, I know you must have found it frustrating, but consider this: Your opponent couldn't manage to finish you on her own before her teammates arrived. The biggest mistake you made was focusing too much on your individual enemy and tuning out the battle around you."

"That sort of tunnel vision is a common problem that every genin experiences at first. You'll all learn to overcome it with more time and experience. Partly it's because you're not used to fighting alongside each other yet. You're learning each other's moves by sparring each other and through missions, which will help. Soon you'll have some more team sparring matches with opponents on your level, as well as individual practice."

"That's all for now," Kakashi said, standing up. "I imagine you'll all want to take care of your bruises, so go ahead. I'll see you at the usual time tomorrow."

…

"No mission today," Kakashi told his students when they met up the next morning. "We'll be running a practice scenario with another team. For this exercise, the three of you will have to escort a civilian – played by me – to a certain intersection not far from the village. You have intelligence that a group of missing-nin are likely to attack, but the reports didn't give a clear idea how many. You can see our route on this map," he paused to pull out a paper map and unfold it for the three to look at. "The numbers and identities of the opposition are unknown. They may be people you recognize, or individuals you're unfamiliar with. Good luck, and try not to move slowly. You fail the mission if I'm late, or if I get captured by the opposition." Kakashi shouldered a pack and started walking. "If you want to plan, you'll have to do it as you walk. Clients are rarely patient."

"We have to get Kakashi-sensei somewhere on time, huh?" Naruto said, smirking at his teammates.

"Yeah," Sakura responded. "I don't know if we're ready for our first S-rank mission so soon either."

Even Sasuke couldn't keep the smile completely off his face at that. Sakura couldn't help laughing, and Naruto was unable to restrain his volume to the point that everyone they passed in the street was looking at the group in confusion.

Outside of town, a related discussion was taking place. "The three of you are to capture a wealthy merchant. It is an astonishing coincidence that this merchant happens to look like jounin Hatake Kakashi," Kurenai told her own students with a smile. "You've gotten a stroke of luck for this mission, because you know who you're up against." Kurenai took three mock-dossiers of the genin members of Team 7 out of a folder and placed them on the ground. "Of course, intelligence can always be wrong or out of date. These individuals could have developed new skills or changed their appearance, or the composition of the assigned team might have changed completely. Your intelligence officer reported high confidence that these three will be the only ones guarding the target, however. You have to either immobilize all three of them, or capture the person they're guarding and effectively lose pursuit. It's your choice which to do. You can make your interception anywhere along the route. Keep in mind that if they reach the end, you lose, so it may be best to make your move sooner. That way, you'll have time for a second attempt if things don't go well." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and your intelligence indicates they don't know you're coming. Good luck."

…

Team 7 was trying to remain vigilant, but Kakashi had set an awful pace. It was just quick enough they had to pay attention, but still slow enough to be boring. Because guard and escort duty is somewhat boring by nature, their minds were wandering. This was especially true for Naruto.

Their attitudes were not helped by the fact that Kakashi had pulled out his little orange book and seemed quite engrossed in it. The longer nothing happened, the more they felt as if they had been suckered.

"Hey, you think maybe Kakashi made this exercise up just so he could read his book?" Naruto asked Sakura. "What if nothing happens the whole time? I bet he just did this so we'd be distracted."

"That Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said in an annoyed tone, glaring at the man's back. "I wouldn't put it past him. He's so lazy sometimes I wonder if he even cares about teaching us anything."

Sasuke appeared to take note of the conversation, briefly, but he made no comment. Kakashi just kept walking, apparently uninterested.

A second later, everyone's head jerked up at a loud rustling in the forest to one side of the road. The sound was quickly followed by a few smoke bombs, and after that Team 7 found it hard to determine just what was happening. They all readied themselves to be attacked, but were surprised to find that instead…nothing happened.

Until the smoke cleared, and they noticed that "Sasuke" was gone.

"Did you see which way they went?" The real Sasuke asked as he jumped down from the trees a moment later.

"No," Sakura replied. Naruto shook his head, then turned to Kakashi…who promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke to reveal a shadow clone of Naruto. "Nothing, sorry boss," The clone said in answer to the unspoken question.

"How did they see through it?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"It doesn't matter right now," Sakura answered. "We have to find their trail, quickly. Spread out and-"

She was cut off by Naruto saying, "Great idea! Mass shadow clone technique!"

…

Inuzuka Kiba was grinning at the successful "kidnapping" he and his teammates had just pulled off. He and Aburame Shino were carrying the "prisoner" – who was, in fact, still reading his book – while Akamaru ran beside them to serve as a lookout.

"You see, Shino? It went perfectly. They have no idea where to look, and they can't search every direction. We're the tracking specialists, and they have no chance now!"

"Your exuberance is premature. They may have spotted us, or received information about the direction of our approach beforehand," his somewhat laconic teammate answered. Kiba's reply was cut off when their third team member, Hyuuga Hinata, caught up.

"Um…we have a problem," she said, with a slightly awed look on her face.

"What? If one of them is catching up, you could have just knocked them out, Hinata!" Kiba responded.

"Well, ah…" Hinata seemed quite at a loss for words. "Um, Naruto-kun is searching in every direction…um…all at once. There seem to be many of him."

"What?" Shino asked, immediately devoting his attention to the matter. "There are many of Naruto, you say? But they are not genjutsu or simple illusions? Your byakugan could detect the difference…so they are clones with substance? Can you estimate numbers?"

"A rough count suggests…at least fifty on this side of the road," she answered.

"What the hell!" Kiba yelled. "That's not…what!?"

Their heads all turned as their "prisoner", Kakashi, began to chuckle. He turned from his book for a moment, and said "Oh, was that not in the intelligence briefing? Shoddy work." He shook his head as he turned back to his book.

"How long until they catch up to us?" Shino asked, trying to refocus the discussion. Kiba was cursing under his breath.

"They're converging!" Hinata said urgently. "I think they heard you yell," she turned toward Kiba, "and they aren't carrying anybody. And now…I see Sasuke and Sakura. Only one each of them, and they're moving with a single Naruto, probably the original. Still pretty far, but more of the clones are looking in the right direction now."

"We cannot beat so many," Shino said. "We should disengage and make a second attempt further down the road. The fact that he did not have them out at first suggests that Naruto cannot maintain so many clones indefinitely. Knocking him out quickly may be our best strategy."

"Haha, soon my guards will free me, evil kidnappers!" Kakashi shouted suddenly. "You will no longer oppress the honest merchants of the Leaf!"

This set several events in motion. First, Hinata grabbed a handkerchief and shoved it in Kakashi's mouth, wondering how none of them had thought to do that earlier. Second, about fifty nearby clones heard the commotion and began closing in, while the rearmost one turned around to tell the real Naruto what they had heard.

Third, Yuuhi Kurenai was forced to muffle her laughter as she observed from nearby.

…

Team 7 retrieved Hatake Kakashi and returned to the road without seeing the enemy, surrounded by a dwindling legion of clones. They increased their pace to make up for lost time, with Kakashi complaining the whole time about "horrible missing-nin harassing honest merchants" and "lack-witted bodyguards" in a tone that Sasuke was fairly certain was calibrated to bypass the rational parts of the brain and annoy anyone who heard it. He also calculated that it was working, and that he wished they had left the handkerchief in Kakashi's mouth.

Given how ineffective their deceptions had been the first time, the members of Team 7 were now walking around Kakashi in a tight formation, with Naruto watching forward and left, Sakura on forward right, and Sasuke watching behind them. Naruto had confidently assured the others that he would have no trouble keeping a few clones up, but it looked like he had been a bit too optimistic. Clones didn't last forever, and steadily replacing them was taxing him. While his chakra reserves were literally inexhaustible in the long run, using so much repeatedly in a short time was still tiring. By now, they were down to two clones. Those two were moving around the quartet at random, trying to avoid establishing any consistent pattern.

Kakashi stopped talking and went back to reading his book, and Sasuke briefly named every deity or spirit he could remember, then thought _whichever one of you made him love those books more than being irritating, thank you_.

…

Team 8 had been finding it difficult to adjust to the rather major setback they had been dealt, but by now they had had time to recover. On the downside, they had revealed some of their own capabilities and were now cutting it close to their deadline, with their target approaching his designated safe zone. On the other hand, they were fairly certain none of their opponents had seen them, and the number of clones they had to contend with had been decreasing. They still had the initiative to decide when and how to attack, even if the opponents knew they were coming. It would have to be enough.

"He could be faking it," Kiba said. "I have no idea how Naruto could summon so many clones to begin with, and his being able to do it for hours isn't much more unbelievable than being able to do it for a few minutes, especially since he has been dropping the numbers."

"Either way, we cannot delay much longer," Shino said. "I believe we should strike now. His fatigue seems genuine."

"Alright," Kiba answered. "You ready, Hinata?"

"Yes," she replied. For some reason she had seemed relieved when they agreed on the plan where she had to attack Sasuke instead of Naruto, which made no sense to Kiba. Sure, hundreds of Naruto might be dangerous, but one? Still, it didn't matter, so he ignored it. Maybe it was some weird Hyuuga-Uchiha clan thing.

…

Just like last time, it started with smoke bombs. This time, though, there was follow-through.

Kiba and Akamaru had been aiming for Sakura and what they thought was the original Naruto, and were not thrilled to feel clones disappearing under their initial attacks. Still, at least it meant only the real enemies were left. They tried to sniff out Naruto and attack again before the smoke dispersed.

Shino's bugs had split into three groups and were trying to latch onto the opponents, while he himself moved to attack Sakura head-on. His close combat skills were the least developed of Team 8, so they had decided he should draw the easiest enemy. Spreading his bugs out from the start was a risk, and would prevent him from using several techniques, but they hoped leeching the chakra from the members of Team 7 would tilt the individual fights in their favor.

Finally, Hinata went straight for Sasuke. It was the kind of match-up that would have drawn a lot of betting and speculation, if only people had known about it: the heir to the village's most feared and prestigious clan against the last Uchiha.

As the smoke cleared, the two were engaged in a furious hand-to-hand duel, moving fast enough that Kurenai and Kakashi were both a bit impressed and proud. Sasuke either had heard of the Hyuuga family's signature martial style or had deduced the key point by instinct, and was employing every parry he knew to keep from being hit directly by Hinata's strikes. Soon he drew a kunai and began slashing and thrusting to keep her at bay. At the same time, he circled to get a better look at the others. Hinata, of course, had the best view regardless of what direction she was facing, but Kurenai resolved to remind the girl that she should not have let her opponent improve his battlefield awareness. She re-evaluated the situation a moment later, however, when she saw that the move put Sasuke's back to an approaching formation of insects.

In the meantime, Shino's plans were slightly frustrated when Sakura felt a prickling sensation on her arm. She jumped back and chanced a look down, then her eyes widened when she saw the first three of his bugs crawling onto her. She quickly used the substitution technique to swap places with a log and threw a few kunai at Shino in rapid succession. He dodged them all, but noticed too late that the last had an explosive tag on it. He rolled with the blast, but that brought him closer to Sakura. She capitalized on the opening, launching a flurry of punches and kicks that kept him on the defensive while her eyes darted everywhere, attempting to spot the other bugs. One strike clipped his shoulder and he stumbled backwards. Next was a kick toward his face that forced him to roll to his left…which abruptly seemed like a bad idea when Sakura smirked and sidestepped. It seemed like an even worse idea a second later, when a fast-moving Kiba plowed into his teammate's back at full speed, having fully expected to strike one of Naruto's clones.

That clone had intentionally dispersed on a signal from the original, who saw Sakura setting their opponent up. Now most of the new mob of clones was focusing on Akamaru, who was looking increasingly cornered by sheer numbers. A few were still watching Kakashi (in case there was another attacker).

Shino and Kiba regained their feet and moved to double-team Sakura, hoping they could knock her out quickly and produce a numerical advantage. Sasuke was starting to slow down as Shino's bugs ate his chakra (although he hadn't realized the reason yet, he did realize something was weakening him). Hinata was forcing him to give ground in order to stay in the fight, until she found herself distracted by a pair of clones which she was a bit reluctant to strike with full force.

Uzumaki Naruto, feeling a bit drained from hours of creating clones and, more recently, Shino's bugs, charged to Sakura's rescue just as he had always wanted a chance to do. There was _no way_ he was going to screw this up when fate finally handed him the opportunity to save her (even if it was only in practice). He plowed into Shino's back and tackled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him long enough to bind his hands. At the same time, one of his clones shouted "hey, dog-breath!" and held up Akamaru, whose four legs were all bound together in some hasty but effective knots.

This distracted Kiba long enough for Sakura to use a leg-sweep that sent him to the ground, then carefully tap his throat with a kunai. "You're dead, Kiba," she said with a smirk.

Sakura and Naruto were celebrating a bit prematurely, however, which they realized when they heard a grunt from behind them. When they turned, Sasuke was staggering backward, looking almost totally out of energy. Hinata looked tired as well, but was standing much straighter.

"Hey Naruto, tell him to call off his bugs," Sakura called to her teammate.

"Hey, you heard Sakura-chan. Do it," he told his captive.

Shino sighed slightly and nodded.

"And you, Hinata! We have your teammates, so you better surrender," Sakura said.

The girl seemed startled to be addressed by the enemy, but after surveying the scene for a moment, she nodded. "I surrender."

"In that case," Kakashi said, suddenly reminding the genin he had been there the whole time, "I think we can declare the exercise completed and head back to discuss it. Don't you agree, Kurenai-san?"

"Yes, I think we've got plenty to talk about," she said as she appeared from among the trees. Her team winced. This had not been their best moment, and they were not looking forward to re-hashing their failures, however constructive the process might be.

"Well, you lazy genin took your time, so I think we'd better double-time it back home," Kakashi said. Somehow, his _voice _seemed to be smirking.

_Are all teachers sadists? _Sasuke wondered. He did not feel up to running back to the village, but then that was probably the point. He sighed quietly to himself and gathered his gear, and soon the group set out.

…

"So," Kurenai began once the two teams were sitting down to debrief, "what are some first thoughts on the mission?"

"Well, the intelligence info you gave us was right, mostly," Kiba answered first. "But it didn't say anything about this whacko," he jerked a thumb toward Naruto, "being able to produce hundreds of clones. Which I would say counts as mission-critical information."

"Indeed," Shino agreed. "It was obvious from the fact that they had set up a decoy for the target and had Sasuke following in the trees that they expected company. The fact that we were expected, surprisingly, was not a great problem. This seems to be because our team has three individuals with additional sensory and tracking abilities, while their team had no advantages in terms of detecting us before we acted. However, Uzumaki Naruto's brute force approach to tracking proved highly effective, forcing us to either engage in battle at a severe disadvantage or release our target in the hopes of catching him again later."

"Um…I think we all felt foolish when Kakashi-sensei's yelling gave away our position," Hinata added. "Gagging him should have been an obvious precaution, but we did not think of it until it was too late. Also, when we made our second strike, we hoped for quick takedowns or that Shino's bugs would turn any long-term engagement in our favor. But they were able to offset our advantages, partly by coordinating their movements."

"All good points," Kurenai said. "Team 7, what about you?"

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, holding a nonverbal consultation to see who was willing to speak first.

"Clients can be annoying," Sasuke said, breaking the silence to glare at Kakashi, who looked quite unperturbed. "Also, not knowing any details about the opposition makes it difficult to lay even basic plans. Our initial deception might have fooled many opponents but proved completely useless against these three in particular. I also think we need to work on ways of tracking people, since Naruto's approach may not always be the best."

Naruto couldn't quite find an explicit insult in there, but the look on his face indicated he was obviously stewing and wanted to start an argument.

"Well at first I was thinking of our time limit as a disadvantage," Sakura spoke up, looking to cut the bickering off before it began. "But it also meant that they had to attack us or risk missing their chance, so it sort of cut both ways. I thought being on defense would be tougher too, but they had to come to us to get their objective, which was also helpful in a way. I mean, we didn't have any way to find them, but we didn't end up needing one. They had to come out into the open sooner or later to finish their mission."

The discussion went on from there, with the two jounin drawing further replies from their students, pointing out all the important bits they missed, and then trying to cover every major mistake made be every participant in the exercise.

It took a while. By the end of it, the genin all felt a bit less intelligent than they had when they woke up that morning, but took solace in the fact that at least they were learning.

"One last thing," Kakashi said as they wrapped up. "I know that this debriefing probably made you feel stupid once or twice. It won't be the last time. Inexperience leads to mistakes. That's why we do these mock missions. Please try to get all of your mistakes done now, while you can afford them. If this had been a real mission, can any of you guess the likely outcome?" He looked around. "What do you think, Kurenai-san?"

"Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Sasuke would be dead for sure," she said. Her face was analytical, which the genin (except Sasuke and Shino) found slightly creepy. "After that, I'd say it would be a bit uncertain, but probably at least one other fatality."

That killed the mood a bit, and they were all fairly quiet as they grabbed their gear.

On the way out, Sasuke inclined his head to Hinata in passing and said, "Good job in the fight."

The girl acknowledged and returned the compliment in passing, but quickly seemed to become distracted by something else.

Sakura seethed. So what if the girl had pushed him? His chakra was getting drained at the time.

Whatever. If Sasuke wanted to be pushed, she'd just have to learn to push him. She'd…get better at taijutsu, and everything else, and make him work until he was completely exhausted.

A second later her brain ran that thought on instant replay, and she was eternally grateful that she had not said it out loud in Ino's hearing. She would never have heard the end of it for the rest of her life. She turned her face away from the others to hide her blushing.

Kiba was frowning as he held Akamaru in his jacket, while Shino walked along in characteristic silence. If anything had broken his calm, he was hiding it well. Naruto was also looking thoughtful. Hinata was looking at Naruto, and her face was easy to read for the only two people who noticed.

"They didn't do badly. Either during the mission or after," Kakashi said to Kurenai as they watched their students depart.

"No, they didn't. Sasuke and Hinata fought at a high level, and the others all have strong potential. And Naruto certainly managed to do some quick problem-solving, even if his method wasn't the most subtle. I think what mine need the most is to work on coordination. I'm pretty pleased that their initial plan was to avoid being identified at all."

"That was a nice touch. I liked the set-up mine put together at the beginning. I felt bad for the wasted effort."

"Whose plan was that, by the way?" Kurenai asked. "Naruto's? It seemed like a prankster's touch."

"Partly," Kakashi answered. "Naruto suggested having a clone transform to look like me. Sakura came up with the other part, concealing me and Sasuke."

"Well, good luck with yours."

"Same to you."

…

END CHAPTER

Kurenai's notes: Team 8 preliminary assessment

Inuzuka Kiba is a bit of a hothead, and will need to be cured of that or it will get someone killed. He is especially loyal, though his desire to prove his own leadership ability could cause problems under some circumstances. Strong in taijutsu, already an adept tracker, and covers ground very quickly. May need some help with tactics. Further evaluation pending.

Aburame Shino has a keen analytical mind. When he speaks, it is usually with purpose, but he may need encouragement to speak more often. Like most of his clan, he often opts for clothing and glasses that conceal facial cues. I will have to make certain these do not become a crutch (either psychologically or in a more practical sense) and that he will be prepared to do without them if necessary. It might be appropriate to encourage him to take up a weapon sooner rather than later, since his clan's techniques often require few or no hand seals and his taijutsu is not the strongest. He places teamwork above individual prowess (often the case with the Aburame clan), which is a major thing for his age.

Hyuuga Hinata seems quite capable in her family's specialty (to an outsider's eye) and fully proficient in the basics of ninjutsu. The Hyuuga style tends to hone chakra control, so it may be worth teaching her some genjutsu to complement her abilities and round them out. We should probably work on covering distance rapidly, since her style depends on getting close. Also, ensure her aim with thrown weapons is good to cover medium- and long-range situations. Lack of assertiveness could prove problematic, if it lasts beyond her first few real combat situations.

Note: Both Hinata and Shino are somewhat quiet, though in different ways and for different reasons. Kiba will have to learn to actively solicit their thoughts and opinions if he wants to lead, and they will need to be encouraged to offer them regardless in order to further their own development.


	3. Team 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

About a month after passing Kakashi's bell test, Team 7 found itself assigned to shore up the wall protecting the village. While durable, the structure was massive enough that it often needed some minor maintenance, and using genin to do it was efficient, keeping more experienced individuals free for other jobs. It also helped them familiarize themselves with the town's defenses.

The work lasted into the afternoon, even with Naruto using some of his shadow clones to speed things up. There was only so much space to work in, and Kakashi wouldn't let the three of them slack off while clones did all the work. Still, the wall was well-maintained and there was a limited amount of work to do. They wrapped up and took a break to eat lunch, with Kakashi allowing the team to socialize.

"How do you make so many clones?" Sasuke asked Naruto, breaking the silence as they all finished eating. "I've wondered off and on, and I can't think of a way it would work. The shadow clone technique is supposed to consume a fairly large amount of chakra. And you've displayed a great deal of stamina at other times, as well."

Sasuke and Sakura waited expectantly for an answer. Kakashi did not appear to be listening, though his students had begun to learn that what he appeared to be doing was often misleading.

"I guess I just have a lot of chakra," Naruto replied after a moment. He wasn't thrilled to lie to his teammates, so he settled on that partial truth.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but let the matter drop, turning back to the last few bites of his meal. After a moment, the other two went back to eating their food as well.

"Finish up, we need to get moving," Kakashi said, walking up to the group. "We have some more combat training, with a bit of a twist."

…

Kakashi took them to a nearby training ground, where they found Sarutobi Asuma and Team 10 waiting. Sakura smirked at the blonde ninja on the other team and stepped slightly closer to Sasuke, practically strutting over with the rest of her team, exuding smugness. Ino glared at the pink-haired girl, causing Sasuke and Shikamaru each to glance at the two girls before ignoring them. Chouji and Naruto were fairly oblivious, exchanging greetings and asking each other about the past month, while Asuma and Kakashi exchanged a look of commiseration. Shikamaru walked over to Chouji and Naruto, listening to their conversation and joining it intermittently. Asuma and Kakashi stepped to one side and conferred quietly for a minute, then returned to their students.

"We're still waiting for one more team," Asuma said to the group, "so all of you come over here and have a seat. While we wait, we'll be talking about sizing up your opponents."

"When you face someone in combat for the first time, you probably won't know anything about them," Kakashi said. "While it can be difficult to analyze quickly, visual hints and other clues can tell you a lot about what you're up against. Obviously, an enemy ninja's forehead protector can tell you what country they're from, which is generally a good starting point."

"Ino, if you were up against a Sand ninja, what elemental techniques might you expect to face?" Asuma asked.

"Wind, of course," Ino answered. "I mean, they call it the Country of Wind for a reason."

"Quite true," Kakashi replied. "And if you ever face a missing-nin from our village, the most likely elemental affinity for them to display would be fire, as I hope you all know. Now, let's look at a concrete example. Team 10, look at me and try to guess what sort of techniques I might employ in a fight based on my appearance."

"Well, you're not carrying any signature weapons, unless they're sealed. That probably means you have some skill with ninjutsu or genjutsu," Chouji said.

"Statistically, ninjutsu specialists are more common," Shikamaru commented. "It's a bit of a guess but…there's also a high chance you would employ some sort of eye-based techniques. The fact that you have one constantly covered is more than a little suspicious."

Kakashi nodded, but didn't answer directly. "What else?" he asked.

"Your style of uniform and armor suggests at least some skill as a close-in fighter," Ino broke in, determined to contribute. "You're not heavily armored, though, which usually means someone who relies more on speed than strength. I'd say that fits with what Chouji and Shikamaru guessed about being a ninjutsu specialist. Your gloves are fingerless, which is good for seal-making, but have armor on the back of your fists. That makes sense for a ninjutsu or genjutsu specialist who also uses taijutsu as a backup."

"Good assessment, all of you," Asuma stated. "Now, Team 7 will have to see how they can do with me."

The trio was silent for a moment as they gathered their thoughts.

"Well," Sakura spoke up first, "your uniform is armored similarly to Kakashi's, so I'd say you also fight in close frequently. No gloves, but that's pretty common so it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Your two bracelets look more ornamental than functional, but that could be a deception of some sort."

"You're a fire user," Sasuke said quietly. "Which means you probably combine ninjutsu and taijutsu, though I can't say which is your preference."

"What makes you say that?" Asuma asked.

"Small things," Sasuke replied. "Partly a subconscious impression based on my own experience. The fact that you have a fair amount of facial hair but none around your mouth is supportive. Mainly, however, you're smoking and I didn't see you pull out a lighter earlier."

"Pretty good," Asuma said, nodding. "Well, I think-"

"Hey, hey!" Naruto interrupted him. "You didn't give me a chance!"

"You see something else?" Asuma asked with his eyebrows raised slightly.

"You can't fool me," Naruto said, grinning widely. "You're carrying fewer kunai and shuriken than most people. I bet that means you have some other weapon hidden somewhere!"

Naruto had initially had the idea when he realized that Chouji's first comment had been about signature weapons. None of the genin on either team were carrying one, so he guessed that the boy had thought of it first because of what he knew about his own sensei.

Sometimes, that "looking underneath the underneath" stuff could be pretty cool, the yellow-haired boy reflected as he saw some surprise on several faces, including what looked like a controlled reaction by Asuma and a surprisingly-attentive Shikamaru. And he could swear Kakashi was smiling off to the side.

"Very good guess," the jounin answered with a pleased expression. He shrugged his shoulders and suddenly was holding odd blades in each hand, sliding his fingers into the holes. "As it happens, I use these two chakra blades as my main weapons."

It was at that point that Team 8 arrived, with Kurenai-sensei leading the way.

"Sorry," she said to the other two instructors. "Some sort of bureaucratic matter delayed our mission assignment earlier."

"No problem," Kakashi responded. "We managed to use the time productively. And I'm sure Asuma-san doesn't mind, right Asuma?"

Asuma gave Kakashi a look of amused tolerance, and muttered something about Kakashi, tardiness, and hypocrisy that no one could quite make out. The three jounin ordered their students to sit quietly for a bit while they conferred, much like before, then walked back together.

"Today you're going to practice fighting alongside people other than your teammates," Kurenai began. "You all know each other's names and faces, and you may know about the abilities of those on the other two teams. In other cases, you may not. You'll be split into three groups of three, and each group will face one of us," here she gave a slightly intimidating smile, "in a sparring match. We'll hold back, obviously. The test here is to see if you can collaborate effectively with allies you haven't practiced with."

The students did not look particularly thrilled at this news, though their reactions covered a fairly wide range. Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked over the three jounin, spending the most time in a brief assessment of Kurenai. Shino was as unreadable as usual, though he tilted his head a bit, suggesting he might be doing a similar inspection of the instructors. Shikamaru closed his eyes for a moment and muttered something including the word "troublesome" that no one really cared about enough to listen to. Kiba and Naruto looked eager, Hinata and Chouji were serious, Ino paled slightly and Sakura was grimacing as she reflected on her combat performance (or lack thereof) during the bell test.

"My group will be Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Nara Shikamaru," Kakashi said.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Yamanaka Ino, and Inuzuka Kiba are with me," Asuma announced next.

"Obviously that means that the rest of you are my group," Kurenai finished. "Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, and Akimichi Chouji."

The teachers led their respective groups away and reminded them to be careful when using techniques that could cause collateral damage.

"I will try to immobilize you all, or knock you out. Stop me. Ready?" Kurenai asked once her group had reached its destination. She received three nods in return, with Sakura and Chouji each taking a deep breath first. "Then we're starting," she told them. And then she was gone.

"It's a genjutsu!" Sakura yelled, instinctively moving to avoid presenting an easy target. "Shino, can your bugs find her through it?"

She turned her head left to look at the boy when he didn't respond, and instead saw no one. She spun around once, quickly, and couldn't see Chouji, either. Nor could she hear them.

"Crap," she said quietly. _Okay, Sakura, you're in a genjutsu. You can break it. You know how, and you've been studying them more lately._

Quickly she gathered her chakra and pushed outward, trying to disrupt Kurenai-sensei's hold on her perceptions. After a moment, she felt it working, disrupting the anchors that attached the illusion to her, and she looked around to get her bearings. Chouji was standing still where he had been a second ago, while Shino was throwing a barrage of shuriken at their jounin opponent and moving constantly. Some of his insects were moving toward Chouji, while most were spreading out in a perimeter around Kurenai, gathered in small clusters that were slowly closing in. Quickly determining what the obvious next move was, Sakura ran over to Chouji and released him from the genjutsu as well.

"Chouji, are you okay?" she asked, looking past him at the fight.

"Sakura? What…oh, she caught me." The boy looked slightly disappointed, but clearly wasn't going to let it keep him down long. "Is Shino okay?" He looked over at the fight, then back at Sakura. "I'm a close combat type, so I'd better get in there. You and Shino keep her from putting me under again and make a plan; I'll buy you some time."

Chouji managed to sound significantly more confident than he felt and sprinted toward the opponent who far outclassed him. _Still, I do have some advantages_, he thought. _She's quick, but doesn't look like a taijutsu expert._ With that thought in mind, he closed the distance and tried to keep Kurenai occupied, using his throwing weapons when he needed space. His clan's taijutsu style generally relied on using fewer, more powerful blows rather than the speedy flurries of attacks that many preferred. It quickly became apparent that conventional methods were not working, however.

"Size technique," he said, quickly forming the hand seals. While it was among the most basic of his clan's repertoire of skills, it would afford him some protection from strikes and force even a jounin to expend some energy dodging his attacks, as any strike he did land would be crushing.

In the meantime, Sakura ran over to Shino and the two began to confer, all the while throwing the occasional blade or explosive note at Kurenai to help Chouji keep her off balance. They were doing a fair job, so she decided to let them have a chance to plan instead of increasing the exercise's difficulty right away.

After a few moments of rushed conversation, Shino and Sakura split up, circling in opposite directions. It looked like most of Shino's bugs had returned to him, as well, which was surprising. Some continued chasing her, but she estimated only about one-fifth of the total number Shino generally committed to battle.

"It's good that you have a plan," Kurenai said to them. "But I'm not just going to let you carry it out, you know." Suddenly she disappeared, leaving behind a rock with several explosive notes attached. Chouji came to a screeching halt and then rolled away, before shrinking back to normal size and shape so he could get behind a tree. Shino and Sakura were both outside the blast radius, but had to assume she could be appearing behind them, so they evaded wildly, trying to look in every direction at once.

Shino suddenly found himself struck in the arm by a kunai…but then he exploded into a cloud of bugs, revealing that it had been a clone. The bugs swarmed toward the source of the thrown weapon, while the real Shino retreated. Chouji tried to move to his aid, while Sakura seemed occupied with something for a moment before she converged with her temporary teammates.

Kurenai reappeared, striking Shino in the stomach with a shin kick he accepted in order to avoid the disabling strike aimed at the back of his neck. They exchanged blows for a few moments, with Shino coming off worse but avoiding defeat. When Sakura threw a kunai at the jounin her next kick nudged Shino into its path. He caught it by the blade, turned, and activated the flash bomb attached to the hilt while Sakura covered her own eyes and Chouji's. Shino's dark glasses protected his eyes from the sudden burst of light, but Kurenai had only managed to partially turn her head and begin covering her eyes with one arm, and that much light was both painful and briefly blinding. She immediately turned and ran up the nearest tree based on her memory of its location, dropping an explosive note behind her to discourage pursuit, then started leaping from tree to tree to buy time for her eyesight to return to normal.

The three genin uncovered their eyes, Sakura smiling slightly at the success of her ploy. Shino retreated towards the others to get clear of the explosive his teacher had dropped, but was able to avoid being hit by anything more significant than some dirt.

"Here," Sakura said, pulling out a roll of bandages. "I'll get your hand."

Shino extended the hand he had used to catch her kunai and allowed the girl to cover the shallow wound.

"So is there a plan?" Chouji asked. "That was a nice trick, don't get me wrong, but we're going to need a step two."

"There's a plan," Sakura said. "You bought us enough time to come up with something. You're going to have to keep engaging her at close range. Shino's bugs let him detect genjutsu, sort of, so he's going to watch our backs and make sure she doesn't take us out that way. And I'm going to set a trap. The problem is that we have to get her into the trap. I don't think we can do it without one of us getting caught too. Since it's just designed to knock people out, that shouldn't be a problem, though. I'll play bait when it's time, and set off the trap from the inside – I think that's the only way we'll have a chance to surprise her. We just have to stay in this fight until the trap is ready, then get her to come after me."

"Okay," Chouji said, and the trio got to work.

…

At about the same time, Asuma was kicking his match into high gear. He and Sasuke had just exchanged fire techniques, and the boy's was surprisingly stable and hot for his age. Most genin had trouble keeping a fire constant, instead letting it gutter out prematurely.

Just as Sasuke disengaged, throwing a handful of shuriken that went slightly wide to Asuma's right, Kiba and his dog came in from the other side. If Asuma dodged away from them, he might get hit by the shuriken. Instead, he forced Akamaru to give up his charge by feinting with his knives and kicked Kiba hard, stopping his momentum. The boy smiled as he fell back, however, with Ino closing in quickly behind him. She had found it a bit difficult to keep up with the two boys' speed, and her signature technique really wasn't suited to this kind of situation, so she had been spending most of the time roving, trying to use basic ninjutsu and her equipment to manufacture openings her teammates could exploit.

Asuma thought Kiba's smirk looked a little smug, and glanced at Sasuke in his peripheral vision to ensure he wasn't doing something unexpected, only to see the boy manipulating wires. He deduced that they must be attached to the shuriken he had avoided a moment ago just in time for the projectiles to come curving around from his left. The boy had thrown wide intentionally, using Kiba's charge to mask his real tactic. Now the shuriken and the wires attached to them were constricting Asuma's movements by tangling him up with the tree behind him.

Sasuke had already finished tying off the wires an instant before they went taught and was holding the knot in his mouth as he completed the hand seals for his grand fireball once again, then launched it directly at Asuma.

The jounin recognized the seals, however, and was finishing his own at the same moment. Instead of trying to cancel the fire with an equal technique of his own, or using a replacement to evade, he sent a surge of wind back at the Uchiha. It blew the fire back toward its source while simultaneously feeding it, making it hotter.

The boy's eyes widened in obvious surprise and the smile he'd worn a second earlier vanished as he dove into the ground, shielding his face with his arms.

Asuma was somewhat disappointed to note that this distracted Ino, who should really have been capitalizing on having a stationary target, especially since she was the closest to him right now. Kiba, on the other hand, seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration as he threw one of his smoke bombs at Sasuke.

The smoke from Kiba's bombs wasn't ordinary; true smoke dispersed too fast for the uses the Inuzuka generally preferred. It had been developed to disperse slowly so that visibility would stay impaired for more than just a few seconds. Whatever else it might be, however, it was not flammable. The smoke, surrounding Sasuke, suffocated the fire so that it lightly singed his hands and clothes instead of doing more serious damage.

Unfortunately for the three genin, Kiba's flash of genius did not prevent Asuma from cutting himself free while they were all preoccupied with Sasuke's predicament. He made a mental note to congratulate Kiba on his quick thinking afterward as he did so. Ino, as the closest, was his first target. She took a knee to the side and was knocked out by the follow-up blow to the head. He gently set her down leaning against a nearby tree, then straightened to face his remaining opponents.

"You've done pretty well, but I think it's about time to finish up," he told them.

…

Kakashi was thinking that the approaching conversation with Asuma and Kurenai should be a fun one. He was in mid-air, having been forced to evade rather abruptly, and had just noticed a suspiciously mobile shadow on the ground, approaching from Shikamaru's direction.

Or at least, _a _Shikamaru's direction. There had been clones running around throughout the entire fight transformed to look like Hinata or Shikamaru, and Kakashi was fairly certain that all three of his actual opponents had pretended to be someone else at least once. Between that and Naruto's tendency to use the substitution technique to switch places with his own clones, it had been completely impossible to keep track of all the details of the match without his Sharingan, which he had chosen not to use on the grounds that the odds were already horribly unfair and there was no need to be cruel.

Of course, his initial opinion of how unfair this match was had been revised significantly since it began, pretty much simultaneously with his growing respect for Shikamaru's intelligence. Asuma hadn't been kidding; the kid really _was_ that smart. Given a bit of experience, he'd be running rings around his enemies. Or possibly forcing them to run in rings of his own design, if what Asuma said about his laziness was also true.

Regardless, so far the match had been a fairly confusing blur, and Kakashi was pretty certain Shikamaru was actually tracking some parts of it better than he was. He kept noticing some telltale behavior that signaled an opponent was real, rather than a clone, but the signals were clearly being changed at pre-determined intervals, which meant they had been set up beforehand, presumably while he was dealing with the first swarm of clones. Of course, he could still pick out Hinata and Shikamaru fairly well; Naruto wasn't the best at imitating other people's mannerisms in combat, since he hadn't really practiced it, so his clones masquerading as them stood apart from the real thing. But it was actually getting more difficult, because Shikamaru was learning to imitate the _clones_ and Hinata kept hiding behind everything, exploiting her ability to see without having a direct line-of-sight in order to stay obscured.

Noticing the sun's position in the sky, Kakashi decided it was time to stop fooling around. He used a quick substitution to avoid Shikamaru's shadow, then moved through the earth to pop up behind Hinata and attack her…while simultaneously sending two water clones after Shikamaru. No matter how bright, he'd be hard-pressed to capture them both simultaneously. And even if he could, they would just disperse.

After that, spotting and subduing the real Naruto took a bit longer than Kakashi expected, but in the end it was a foregone conclusion.

…

"Well, you all look pretty bruised," Asuma said. "The good news is, the full debriefing will be done by squads tomorrow, so you're off the hook for now. Squad 10, we're going to head for home." He turned toward his recent opponents. "Sasuke, Kiba, I thought you both did pretty well. Good luck."

"Team 8, we'll be heading out as well," Kurenai told her students. "We need to get an early start for our mission tomorrow. And Sakura, Chouji, I also thought you turned in good performances."

"From what I saw, all of you seemed to have some real strengths," Kakashi added. "Hinata, Shikamaru, you both made me work harder than I expected. Keep it up."

With that the teams went their separate ways for the day.

"Working in combination with unfamiliar teammates is difficult, but sometimes it's necessary," Kakashi said as they went back home. "All the best ninja have the ability to adapt and work together to overcome challenges. I'm looking forward to hearing what Asuma and Kurenai have to say about your performances, Sakura, Sasuke. Naruto, I'll let you know what I thought at the same time, so you'll have to wait."

"Tomorrow we'll be doing a few circuits of the walls and the village perimeter, to ensure you're all familiar with the terrain and landmarks," Kakashi told them before they split up. "We can talk over this exercise then. After that, we'll have a more long-term deployment. The next week or two, we'll be moving around a bit in the forest outside town, until you can all navigate it smoothly. It's important to know the land near your home village, and the patrol will give us a chance to push your speed and stamina a bit more, among other things. For now, get some rest."

Kakashi let his students split up to go home, waited briefly, and then caught up with Naruto.

"I need to talk to you for a minute," he told the yellow-haired boy.

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Nothing bad," Kakashi said reassuringly. "Earlier, when Sasuke asked about your ability to make so many clones, you dodged the question. I'm not going to criticize you for that. The fact is that if outsiders knew you were the nine-tails' jailor, some of them would probably target you to get to it. That's why the information isn't more widespread in the first place. With that said, however, I want to be clear about something. I've discussed the matter with the Homage, and he has agreed that you can tell your teammates if you want to. Doing so shouldn't put you at significantly greater risk than you face now, and could make your life easier than if you have to lie."

"Wait…you mean you're going to tell them?" Naruto asked, looking a bit worried and confused.

"No, I'm saying that _you_ are allowed to tell them if you want to," Kakashi replied. "You're going to be trusting each other with your lives, Naruto. I think you may find that they take the news better than you expect. At the same time, the Hokage told me clearly that it is your choice, not anyone else's. This isn't something you have to decide tonight, but I felt it was important to have this conversation now, since the subject arose. Take your time, and let me know when you do come to a decision, alright?"

"I…okay, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. He looked deeply thoughtful as he continued home.

…

Afterwards, the three jounin met up at a comfortable restaurant near the Hokage's residence. The place was situated in a part of town that was populated almost exclusively by senior ninjas, retired ninjas, and their immediate families. The business was designed to give its customers something that many of them craved from time to time: a quiet place to relax with friends. Ninjas often needed to decompress after missions or talk about business and sometimes didn't want to take it home to their families. Places like this one allowed them to go someplace for a quiet meal, or just a few drinks with colleagues. The establishment was characterized by bland décor, comfortable seating for small parties, and (above all) privacy. One side-effect of catering almost exclusively to ninjas and their families was that the owner never had to worry about fights and rarely had any noisy customers. They also tended to accept fairly simple food (probably because they spent so much time living on rations), so it was a profitable, comfortable business.

"The Uchiha kid surprised me a bit," Asuma was saying, "despite what you told me. I sure as hell couldn't throw out a fire technique like that at his age. He's talented, but that takes hard work, too. Drive most kids just don't have yet." He grimaced. "I guess we know where he probably got it, but the results are impressive regardless."

He looked up from his drink at Kurenai. "Kiba made a pretty good showing, too. He and Sasuke actually managed to coordinate a bit. Ino wasn't integrating quite as smoothly, but she did a half-decent job of trying to create openings for them. Anyway, Kiba actually charged in and took a hit just to set me up for Sasuke at one point. Given that we were testing their coordination and the two don't really know each other, that speaks pretty well of him."

"The Inuzuka seem to be pretty good about teaching their kids not to overdo self-reliance, from what I've seen," Kurenai answered. "They use a pack as an example sometimes, but the key thing is that they really do regard their dogs as equal partners. It might be weird, but it can help keep them from getting carried away with their egos."

"I thought Chouji did pretty well," she said, launching into her own analysis. "But he seemed to surrender the initiative too completely when it came to planning. From what you've said, I think he's gotten used to leaning on Shikamaru for plans, and that's bad in the long run. They won't be partnered for every mission."

"I guess I hadn't really thought of that risk yet," Asuma admitted. "The two of them work together so smoothly and naturally I was pleased. Most new genin want to show off a bit more. I'll have to watch for that, though, especially since he could be a clan leader one day. What else?"

"That was really the only flaw. He's very loyal, has good stamina and strength for his age, and managed to keep me busy long enough for Sakura and Shino to put a plan together without much help. Even if I was holding back, it wasn't easy. But he never looked like he was thinking of giving up." She turned to look at Kakashi next. "As for Sakura, she snapped herself out of my first genjutsu fast, and then did the same for Chouji right away. She and Shino managed to collaborate on designing a pretty complicated trap. She even figured I wouldn't fall for it and made it to catch us both, then triggered it from the inside. I got out, but it was a riskier move than I expected from her, which is probably a good thing. I'd say she's a good planner. She took charge but still listened to Shino's advice on a couple points, so there's some leadership potential there."

They sat quietly for a few moments, absorbing what had been said already.

"So?" Kurenai prompted, looking at Kakashi expectantly.

"Well, I think you were right about Hinata," he began after gathering his thoughts. "She made a good suggestion that I overheard – said it might be smart to try to get me off my feet and into the air before Shikamaru used his shadow mimicry technique. But she pretty much clammed up after that. She's going to have to overcome her shyness eventually. It seemed to be worse when Naruto was paying attention to her, so I think you were right about that part, too."

"Great," Kurenai said, sighing. "Just once, I'd like something to be simple. One time."

Asuma smiled. "Careful what you wish for, Kurenai-sensei," he said.

"As for Shikamaru, I'm almost afraid to ask what his parents have been feeding him," Kakashi said. "Whatever it is, I'm convinced his brain takes up about half the space inside his body, because he is far too sharp for someone who graduated from the academy a month ago. I don't know if he'll be a leader but he'll definitely be a good strategist, and probably a good politician if he ever cares enough. Naruto and Hinata were both pretty cooperative in terms of planning, but he still managed to put their talents to good use quickly. Basically, Naruto used hordes of clones to keep me off-balance while they tried to create and exploit openings to catch me. Since either of them only really needed to catch me once to count as a victory, that makes sense."

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Naruto's clones kept changing who they looked like, and by the time we finished Shikamaru was imitating _Naruto's_ imitation of _himself_ well enough that I had to actually pay attention to spot him, or backtrack from his shadow. Hinata didn't manage the acting that well, but she kept hiding behind objects and clones and using her Byakugan to keep an eye on me without becoming visible."

The discussion went on for some time, until talking about their students turned into talking about the time when they had been students themselves. Kakashi took his leave soon after, allowing his colleagues to enjoy each other's company.

…

The next day, discussing the exercise took a fair amount of time, and soon the members of Team 7 were looking forward to their upcoming patrol. Two days later Kakashi's genin found he was as good as his word, and soon all three of his students were a bit winded trying to keep up with his pace. The man had them working on chakra control (to move through the trees), and their stamina was certainly being tested. Sakura almost threw up her breakfast the second morning, and they all ate a bit less on the third.

He never let them rest completely until nightfall, either. Anytime they stopped, however briefly, he would occupy them somehow. Sometimes he would test their knowledge of local plants and animals, seeing if they knew which were safe to eat and which could prove dangerous. On other occasions he would see if they could remember bingo book entries on missing-nin, or information on countries that bordered the Nation of Fire. Several sessions were spent on making them practice walking up trees. Sakura was pleased to be the best at something for a change, but having to demonstrate her ability repeatedly soon wore away some of her enthusiasm.

Whenever they camped for the night he would have all three of them set up traps around the area, and the next morning began with making them try to safely disarm and disassemble the traps constructed by their teammates. He also removed himself from the nightly watch rotation, forcing the three tired genin to cover the whole night themselves.

Naruto's stamina was a major asset now, and he volunteered to stand the first watch every night, giving his teammates a chance to recover before their own turns came. Sakura and Sasuke alternated taking the mid-watch and the third shift. It was taking a brutal toll on their ability to remember and think clearly, as well as their physical energy. The fatigue was not severe at first, but it built up every day, and soon the three found it much more difficult to use their chakra for even simple movement.

By the time they had set up camp to Kakashi's satisfaction each night, the trio was generally too exhausted to talk at all, especially knowing that they would have to wake up at or soon after first light the next morning, so conversation was minimal. Occasionally they discussed some point of chakra use or bit of information that Kakashi had tested them on. Sakura was the best-informed about the surrounding nations and their history, and also ended up giving her teammates some pointers on chakra control. She was also talented with traps.

Surprisingly (to his two classmates, at least) Naruto seemed to have something of a gift with his, particularly making it hard to disarm them without setting them off. They didn't realize, at first, that this was a legacy of his time as a prankster, mostly because Naruto had rarely targeted those in his age group. Sasuke was competent with traps, but what stood out most was his knowledge of missing-nin. Kakashi was hardly surprised to find that the boy had studied all the declassified files he could find on the village's deserters and criminals.

The two boys were finding themselves pushed more mentally than physically, straining to keep up with all the information on diverse topics despite their fatigue. Sakura, it became clear, knew a great deal more than either of them in most subjects, but she was having a harder time meeting the grueling pace of being on the move constantly.

The sixth night, they were about to set camp when Kakashi stopped them.

"Pack up your traps and gear," he said. "We're not resting tonight."

Naruto looked annoyed and Sasuke's face tightened, but Sakura's expression turned to despair for a moment before she looked away. She got herself back under control and mechanically set about following the orders, but some of the heart seemed to have gone out of her and her fingers trembled slightly as she packed up. _What's the point,_ she thought to herself. _Of course he can run us into the ground, but why bother?_ She practically threw the last of her gear into her pack in frustration.

By now, there were dark circles under all their bloodshot eyes, and other signs of fatigue were creeping in. Naruto was by far the most alert, but even his stamina was not bottomless. His prisoner's chakra could help stave off the effects of sleep deprivation and fatigue, but not cancel them out entirely. They were too tired to complain or argue, however, so they packed as quickly as they could, even if it took a bit longer than it had last time.

"This way," Kakashi said once they were ready, leading them to the east. The three took a minute to notice the change, but soon realized that they were headed in a new direction. Kakashi had been taking them in a looping circuit around the village. That had meant moving north and west, for the most recent part of their journey, which meant that this new direction was a deviation from their long, roughly circular path.

He eventually brought the group to a halt in a small depression where forest gave way to rocky, open ground. They waited there for a few minutes until company arrived in the form of Team 10.

They looked about as beaten as Team 7, sporting similar signs of exhaustion. Asuma led them in, gesturing to a spot near where Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were standing. The two jounin waited until they came to a halt and put down their packs.

"Sometimes," Kakashi began in a quiet voice, "ninjas have to go on past the point of fatigue or even exhaustion. Pushing the body too hard or overusing chakra has a price. It takes a toll on you. But sometimes there is a mission that can't wait. Sometimes there are lives on the line and it doesn't matter how terrible you feel, or how much you want to sleep."

"A ninja must be able to endure," Asuma said, picking up where Kakashi left off. "Your muscles are burning. Your eyelids feel heavy. You don't think you can carry your pack another mile. You're almost willing to die just to get some rest. Guess what?" He paused for a moment. "The enemy will grant that request. All it takes is one moment of weakness. Fatigue is a physical thing, and can't just be willed away. It also affects the mind, which can be even worse. The ability to think clearly and quickly is probably the single most important asset for any ninja, regardless of where they are or what they are doing."

"Right now, you probably think you can't fight," Kakashi said, "I don't care. The enemy won't care, except to take advantage of you. If you're ever this exhausted going into a battle, a quick death is not the worst possible result. You could be captured alive. Depending on who you're dealing with, that can be far worse."

"Fortunately for you all, we're going to discuss interrogation another time," Asuma told them. A few of the genin breathed sighs of relief, far too tired to worry about concealing them.

"Unfortunately," Asuma continued, "you're not off the hook. We didn't come here just for a lecture. Pair off. Sakura, you and Ino will spar over here," he said, pointing to an area in between himself and Kakashi. "Shikamaru, you and Sasuke will be over by Kakashi-sensei. Naruto and Chouji, come over near me."

Kakashi gave the order to begin as soon as the pairs were all facing each other. Sakura and Ino went into a half-hearted sparring match that was short on technique and power. The two seemed to be fighting gravity more than each other as they stumbled back and forth.

Naruto was driving Chouji back, charging forward with a burst of energy that mystified his opponent. Finally, the larger boy managed to mold enough chakra for his size technique and rolled over Naruto twice. He had to release the technique after that, however, and the yellow-haired prankster soon bounced back to his feet, wobbling only for a few seconds before he came right back for more.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was driving himself with sheer determination, willing his body to stay standing and refusing to face the alternative. He attacked Shikamaru with a combination of punches and kicks, but the shadow-wielding genius managed to trip him up, sending him sprawling to the ground. He sprang back up immediately, ignoring the part of himself that had found the ground comfortable, and attacked again.

In the end, Sakura and Ino passed out at almost the same second, while Naruto and Sasuke each managed to secure a functional (if inelegant) victory. Sasuke was in better physical shape than Shikamaru and more determined, both of which helped his stamina and endurance. Naruto, of course, had certain unfair advantages in that regard. Once the matches were over, the jounin let their students rest, talking quietly.

When the genin began to wake up on their own, most of them felt terrible. Naruto was uncomfortable, but seemed to have recovered the most during their short rest, and was soon moving around and stretching the soreness out of his muscles. Shikamaru glanced at him with a speculative expression on his face as he stretched lazily on the ground, while Ino looked almost annoyed at his apparent energy. She and Sakura were talking quietly. Sasuke ignored his peers, forcing himself to stand as soon as he woke, while Chouji was the last one to return to consciousness. Once they were all beginning to move around, Asuma and Kakashi walked over and motioned for them to gather.

"We'll be going our separate ways again now," Asuma said to the genin. "We let you rest a little extra, but we still have patrols to finish, so you'd better get ready to move. You've had a taste of fighting while exhausted. It won't be the last time. Learn from it."

With that, the two teams grabbed their packs and took off, praying that the second half of their patrols wouldn't be worse than the first.

"I'll expect all three of you to intensify your individual endurance training after we finish this patrol," Kakashi told his students. "You've all been taking your training more seriously than when we began, which is good, but you aren't pushing yourselves enough on a daily basis. We'll discuss the details later."

…

END CHAPTER

Asuma's notes: Team 10 second assessment

Nara Shikamaru may be a literal genius, perhaps surpassing his father. His ability to analyze data and set plans accordingly will likely allow the trio to successfully perform missions that would be beyond their skill otherwise. The biggest problem, when he gets older, will be determining whether he should transfer into intelligence or remain in the field. His taijutsu abilities are at about the average level for his age, and he has met with some success learning the first of his clan's techniques. Motivating him has been somewhat difficult; if he was not so gifted, I would question whether he should be a ninja. That said, it appears he performed poorly on written evaluations largely due to laziness; he never showed his work when answering test questions, and rarely turned in homework. He seems to have grasped the material quite thoroughly despite that, and has not required the sort of remedial training that I expected initially.

Yamanaka Ino, unfortunately, appears to be more interested in boys (particularly Uchiha Sasuke) than in applying herself to preparing to be a ninja. She finished the academy with high marks in most subjects, though her taijutsu capability is a bit below the average for the graduates, and that measurement appears to have been accurate. Her clan's ninjutsu, while undeniably powerful, do not always lend themselves well to direct combat, and I believe she has found it discouraging to feel that she is behind both of her teammates when it comes to being useful in combat, particularly since she didn't seem to like them much when the team was first formed. Shikamaru has a way of getting under her skin at times, though Chouji has begun to act as a peacemaker, defusing their arguments before they begin. She does seem to have a better opinion of him than when I began training them, probably because Chouji is difficult to dislike.

Akimichi Chouji has been one of the easiest students to train, in my experience. He is extremely loyal and inclined to work with his teammates rather than relying solely on his own strength. He is grasping his clan's taijutsu fairly well and has progressed through the basics quickly, and has no problem being on the front line while his teammates try to maneuver. Though not quite as clever as his two teammates, he is very psychologically stable. His friendship with Shikamaru allows him to coax the other boy to action at times, and he is becoming increasingly able to manage Ino's temper, effectively making him the heart of the team. As Kurenai suggested, I may need to take care to ensure that he does not come to rely on Shikamaru to always do the planning. Bad habits like that are usually fatal, and would certainly make him a poorer leader regardless.

Team Assessment: As a whole, the team is coming together much better than I expected when I first met them. Psychological barriers to success are relatively minor, and all three show the potential to become effective, intelligent ninjas. Now that I've spent some more time with their parents, as well as the students, this is less surprising. Ties between their families are proving helpful in bringing the team close, particularly since each of them spends significant time practicing family techniques with parents or other relatives.


	4. Surprises and Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

The second month of being genin was far more tiring than the first. Kakashi pushed his team hard, forcing them to find their physical and mental limits and then extend them. The first two weeks were brutal. The third week he slowed the pace of training a bit, letting them recuperate. None of it was quite as bad as that two-week patrol they had gone on; he seemed to feel he had made his point then.

They ran more mock missions and had sparring matches against other genin, particularly those from Team 8 and Team 10, either one-on-one or three-on-three. They even got to observe once as Team 8 and Team 10 ran a mission against each other, with Team 10 trying to steal a scroll that Team 8 was tasked to guard. Shikamaru had devised a clever plan to pull the guards out of position, but in the end Team 8 realized their mistake in time and kept the target secure.

On a few occasions, one or two people from a team would be temporarily added to another, such as when Sakura and Sasuke were allied with Team 10 and Naruto was attached to Team 8, then the two groups were ordered to fight each other. Sometimes those battles were extremely lopsided, such as when Sasuke, Hinata, and Chouji were teamed up and ordered to take on all of the other members of the three teams.

That match devolved into insanity almost immediately, as the three were the most effective close-quarters combatants among the nine students. They managed to stay close to each other for the most part, resisting every effort the larger group made to separate them and bring them down one at a time, until finally Shikamaru and Kiba were able to exploit the shadow mimicry technique and Kiba's speed to cut Chouji off and knock him out. After that, a second ploy had Naruto send clones in with Shino's bugs clinging to their backs, so that they could quickly land on the two fighters when the clones were destroyed. Hinata noticed them coming too late to warn Sasuke, who found it impossible to remove the bugs from his body without leaving openings that the enemy could exploit. With his chakra being drained, he couldn't watch Hinata's back as effectively, and the duo soon lost their last stand.

On another day, Naruto had to face all of Team 10 alone. Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru destroyed at least 20 shadow clones without knocking the yellow-haired boy unconscious, and somehow he seemed to be wearing them down rather than the other way around, despite the fact that this was theoretically a three-on-one match in which he was at a disadvantage. That was closely followed by setting Sasuke and Sakura against Team 8. With Akamaru and Shino's bugs in the mix, they were facing odds that were either five-to-two or even worse, depending on who was counting, and the pair quickly found themselves grasping for riskier and riskier tactics, faking openings in their own defense and even manufacturing genuine ones occasionally to try to land a decisive blow. Sakura almost started blushing at one point when she and Sasuke were back to back, but she was sufficiently distracted by the fists coming her way that it didn't occur to her until later to be pleased at how close to him she had been standing.

The training was far more intense and comprehensive than what they had done in the academy, where sparring between single opponents had been the norm and there was no context. Now, there were often handicaps, unfair teams, or additional objectives. Sometimes one side was told they could win if they found an opening for a lethal strike, while the other side had to knock their opponents out but could not "kill" them. Other times, the objectives would change in the middle of a mock mission, or they would discover that the whole scenario was a set up and they would have to escape. Once, the genin of Team 7 broke into a room to steal an objective and were unpleasantly surprised to see Kurenai and Kakashi waiting for them, instead of Team 8 as they had expected.

Then, of course, there was what happened when Kakashi realized that only Sakura was reading their mission briefings thoroughly (actually, he had known from the start, but was giving Naruto and Sasuke a chance to take things more seriously on their own). The trio was ordered to approach a specific building on the outskirts of the village without being seen by the guards, observe it for two hours, and then return to report to Kakashi about what they saw. As usual, Naruto barely glanced at the briefing while Sasuke skimmed it. Sakura, who read more thoroughly, was quite surprised to find a simple code embedded in the orders. As it instructed, she reported to Kakashi 10 minutes early the next day without discussing the matter with her teammates.

Later, when the mission was under way, she managed to attach the small strips of cloth she had been given to her teammates. Naruto didn't notice, and in Sasuke's case she just pretended that she had thought a guard was about to see them. He looked a bit annoyed, but said nothing.

When the two hours were up, the trio returned to report in to Kakashi. Naruto and Sasuke were quite surprised to find him waiting with the guards they had been assigned to watch, a pair of chuunin who had some paperwork to fill out and owed Kakashi a small favor. They were even more surprised to hear that Sakura had been a traitor in the exercise, and had planted the pieces of cloth on them as a test of her own stealth. Kakashi explained how she had received her orders, and then took a tone that they could not remember ever hearing before.

"Congratulations," Kakashi told them, "you're dead. Those papers are scented faintly, which is how my colleagues followed you to this building. Had Sakura wanted, those could have been explosive notes. Or she might have managed to poison you. Your traitorous teammate could mildly injure herself, run home, and report that you unfortunately died in the line of duty buying time for her to escape. No doubt you were nobly defending her with your lives, and the village will celebrate your bravery. Too bad you won't enjoy the praise, since you're either corpses lying on the ground somewhere, or busy being tortured by the enemy for every scrap of information you know about the village."

He paused for a moment. "Oh, and she can say that you successfully accomplished your mission _before_ you were detected, then report anything she wants to your superiors, possibly leading another squad or two into a trap," he said in an unpleasant tone.

Kakashi let the uncomfortable silence linger in the air for a minute. "Briefing materials are not a joke, or a waste of time," he said, and now he sounded quietly angry. "Naruto, Sasuke, I don't care if your taijutsu is better than Sakura's, or if you have higher chakra capacity. If you can't be responsible enough to _read a damn briefing_ that is only a few pages long in its entirety, I will end your career myself, because the alternative is to send you out there knowing that you will one day get your colleagues killed through laziness or stupidity. Do you understand? If this ever happens again, you are finished as ninja. Done. Forever. Now, go home. Next time I see you you'd better be acting like professionals. _This is not a game and you cannot act like children anymore._"

Sakura was cringing by now, looking at her teammates out of the corner of her eye and clearly afraid to face them directly. Naruto looked shocked, all the boyish enthusiasm that typically characterized him absent as he began walking home in a wordless haze. Sasuke was tight-lipped, looking like he wanted to kill something and clearly biting back words that would not help this situation. He too turned without speaking, nodding a brief acknowledgment to Kakashi and slamming the door on his way out.

He clung to his anger because the alternative was to embrace his shame. A game? How _dare_ that bastard say that? He knew it was no game. He'd seen the damage a traitor could inflict, knew it better than _anyone_, and…

But he couldn't sustain his rage at Kakashi or Sakura, or maintain the train of thought for long. Because he knew, deep down, that Kakashi was right, that he had neglected that aspect of his training. It was humiliating, but he couldn't let that stop him from facing the truth. He couldn't let anything stop him; he had to become one of the strongest ninjas the village or the Uchiha clan had ever produced, because there was no way anything less would be enough. His combat skills were good and getting sharper, and he knew Kakashi had played a major part in that. The man could seem infuriatingly lazy at times, but he was a dangerous veteran, and not taking him seriously would be a huge mistake. Sasuke had looked Kakashi up in a copy of a foreign bingo book that the village had recovered. Since the information was widespread knowledge and partly based on speculation, it wasn't considered classified, and he knew now why Kakashi had been assigned as his teacher. He was literally the only person alive who could teach some of the things Sasuke wanted, _needed_ to learn.

He was also extremely experienced, and widely believed to have killed at least one S-class missing-nin in the past, as well as numerous other enemies. He was former ANBU, and had survived the total loss of at least two squads in heavy combat throughout his career. He had the kind of reputation that ninjas would quite literally flee from or try to kill for, depending on how dangerous they thought they were.

So Sasuke took a deep breath and controlled his anger. He knew he was angry at himself for being caught in such a mistake, and he would not hide from that fact. Self-deception and internal weaknesses were the most dangerous of all. Believing falsely in a brother's love and loyalty _once_ had cost him and his entire family nearly everything. If he allowed himself to be driven by his ego, he would face Itachi and lose, and he could not afford that. The Uchiha could not afford that. His goals were all he had left, and failing them would mean the true end of his entire clan, with only a single traitor left alive to piss on the ashes of their name, forever befouling their history.

Instead, he thought, he should thank Kakashi. The man had given him a chance, not just kicked him out. This was a wake-up call, and ninjas who needed those often received them in the form of a kunai in their throat.

His anger was simmering, now, not boiling as it had before. Sasuke stared in the direction of the deserted Uchiha clan compound as he walked home, then abruptly changed course for one of the training grounds he typically used when working individually. He needed to burn off some energy. Perhaps literally.

…

Naruto was in still in shock when he got home, trying to process the idea that Kakashi-sensei, who seemed like a mostly decent guy (if a bit lazy and strange) had just threatened to end his dream. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he hadn't been pushing himself very much mentally. Sure, he'd worked until he couldn't when it came to physical workouts, but not so much the other lessons.

Kakashi had warned him, just last week, that if he really thought he wanted to be Hokage one day he would have to be prepared for all of the responsibilities of the position. He had said that the Hokage spent a lot of time reading reports, and Naruto would have to try harder on things like that. In retrospect, Naruto decided, that had probably been meant as a specific warning, as well as general advice.

In the end, Naruto was too optimistic to let even something this shocking keep him down for too long. He thought things through and looked at the briefing for the last mission. He saw the code, now that he was looking for it, but thought he might have missed it otherwise. Naruto decided that he was going to have to do something hard. He was going to have to ask for help.

…

After the two boys left, Sakura was quiet for a moment. Kakashi dismissed the two chuunin, then called her over.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through that, Sakura," he said gently. "But if it helps, I want you to know that I don't think either of them will hold a grudge against you. And I want you to understand something else, too: this was a test for you at the same time. Partly of your stealth, and partly to see if you would risk your teammate's displeasure to help me teach them something important."

Sakura looked at him abruptly, her eyes widening.

"It's a test you passed," Kakashi continued. "This lesson will almost certainly save their lives someday, Sakura. And it wouldn't have worked as well without your help. I know you worry sometimes about what those two think of you – especially Sasuke. But if anything, he'll probably think you're a better ninja after today, so try not to worry. Frankly, if you thought them liking you was more important than helping all three of you become capable ninja, that would be a problem. And remember, the other things I said were true too. Your teammates may be ahead of you in some ways, but they're behind you in others. There will be times when they need your help."

He stopped for a few moments, until she nodded. "Good," he said. "Too much pride can be dangerous, but so can too little. Make sure you remember the things you're good at." He smiled. "Now, you can head home as well."

She nodded again, then looked as if she was about to say something. After a few moments, she let out a breath and walked away.

…

When the genin of Team 7 gathered the next day, Sakura felt unbearably nervous despite Kakashi-sensei's words. What if Sasuke never forgave her? What if he would distrust her forever now that she had betrayed him? Yes, there had been a good reason, but…

The same few thoughts ran around and around in her mind, and she reflected for the seventh time that she should not have come early. Unfortunately, she had woken up early and did not want to linger at home, because that would have led to her parents asking if something was wrong, a conversation she profoundly wished to avoid.

Come to think of it, she profoundly wished to avoid all conversation at the moment. Despite that feeling, she was somewhat relieved when Naruto greeted her with a cheerful, "Hey Sakura-chan," as he walked up.

"Hi Naruto," she replied, smiling half-heartedly. At least he didn't seem angry at her.

"Um, Sakura-chan," he began hesitantly, "I was wondering if…maybe you-,"

"I'm not going on a date with you Naruto, stop asking," she said. The words were nearly automatic at this point.

"Huh? Oh," he said, looking a bit disappointed, "that's not what I was going to say. Um, actually I was hoping you'd help me with working on codes. I looked at the one from yesterday and it was kind of hard, and I know you're good at that kind of thing."

"Oh," the pink-haired girl said, blinking in surprise. "Well…sure, I guess I could help a little. I mean, we are teammates after all." Sakura was somewhat surprised to hear herself agreeing, but thought of Naruto watching her back in team sparring matches and taking her watch that one night on patrol so she could sleep, and decided that this seemed like a reasonable thing to do for a teammate.

In fact, she reflected, Naruto had become significantly less annoying over the course of the last month.

So the rest of the time until Kakashi's arrival was passed by discussing the basics of codes, so that Sakura could see how much Naruto knew already. She tensed when Sasuke arrived, but he said nothing at first, only nodding to acknowledge their presence. As the discussion continued, she was somewhat pleased to find that he seemed to be paying attention to what she was saying. It might not have been quite what she had dreamed of, but having the undivided attention of her crush was a pretty nice feeling, especially since she felt like she had earned it by being good at something.

Kakashi appeared a bit later than usual (though he had arrived at the usual time, he chose to observe his students silently for a bit before joining them). By the time he showed up, his students were discussing some of the differences between written and spoken codes, and the ways combining verbal and non-verbal communication could produce particularly subtle messages.

"It sounds like you all learned something from yesterday," he said. "That's good. Now get up, we've got a mission to do."

…

When Team 7 reported for duty at the administration building, many inside were surprised by the way Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura continued their discussion, quietly and discretely. They were accustomed to seeing the Uchiha boy in silence, the pink-haired girl clearly looking at him and Naruto loudly expressing his opinions about something (popular topics included the joys of ramen, why he should be Hokage, and how the shadow clone technique was the best thing ever. He was consistent enough that there were sometimes betting pools concerning the current target of his enthusiasm, depending on who was on duty).

They even stopped talking once they reached the mission coordination room, glancing at Kakashi as they did so, and waited quietly. Umino Iruka was almost concerned, and even the Hokage had a noticeable reaction, puffing on his pipe once or twice before he acknowledged their arrival verbally.

"So, Hatake Kakashi and Team 7," the old man said in greeting. "For today's mission, you will be assigned to courier duty. There are some non-classified but pressing messages that need to be taken to the household of the feudal lord, and you will deliver them."

In fact, the messages were largely social ones concerning travel arrangements of minor bureaucrats and a few moderately wealthy merchants of no particular influence. Had anyone important been involved, the documents would be more carefully protected. Errands of this sort were routinely assigned to Genin training squads, as a relatively low-risk chance for them to get out of the village.

"Obviously, travel may consume more than a day, so you have some time before you leave," the Hokage continued. "Please gather provisions and depart as soon as reasonably possible. While you will not be leaving the Fire Country or even approaching its borders, you will be farther than usual from the village, so I expect increased vigilance from each of you."

…

The trip itself was quite uneventful. After the first hour or so passed in silence and they grew bored, the three genin ended up resuming their earlier discussion of codes. Sakura found it pleasant to be explaining things to her classmates. Kakashi was a bit impressed despite himself with just how much she knew; apparently he could have used a significantly more complex code to pass along her secret orders than he had thought. It also sounded like Naruto needed more help with codes than he had realized, but at least that problem was fixing itself.

Kakashi decided to push the pace a bit, but kept it from becoming grueling, and it took about three days total to travel from the village to the feudal lord's residence. Sasuke and Naruto had no memories of the country's capital, and even Sakura's (from a journey she took with her family when she was younger) were few and faint, so the three were struggling a bit to take in everything they saw. At the feudal lord's home, they were greeted at the entrance by a servant who inspected the first of the scrolls and then showed them in politely. They were waiting in a small side room near the entrance when the fire lord's wife walked by.

She did not have her cat with her but looked otherwise about the same as the members of Team 7 remembered from their previous, brief encounter.

"Ah, it's our guests from the Leaf!" she said, smiling at them. "Why, I still remember the way you returned dear Tora to me when I was visiting. I must repay you! Please come this way and have a light meal. It will take a few minutes for our steward to write out his replies to the messages you brought, and I would feel terrible sending growing young people on their way without feeding them."

Kakashi was just opening his mouth to answer, but Naruto beat him to it.

"Wow, really? You're the greatest, Shijimi-sama!" The yellow-haired boy was grinning, pleased to have found that this woman was so nice. Maybe she just wasn't good with cats? That would explain it.

"Why, you're welcome, young man. You know, gratitude and courtesy will take you far," she beamed in return. "Please, follow me."

Kakashi, who had been about to refuse politely, changed his attitude.

"My student is quite right, and I must add my gratitude as well. I'm certain whatever you provide will be a significant improvement on travel rations." At his side, one of his hands signaled Sakura and Sasuke, and they added their own polite thanks. Sakura, expanding on the silent cue she had been given, made some mindless but polite small talk, asking about the city and saying that she had been so young when she visited that she could scarcely appreciate it properly at the time.

That conversation lasted until they reached a small room just off the kitchens, where Lady Shijimi commanded a few servants to fetch some simple food for the travelers. Naruto ate his portion rapidly, but somewhat belatedly remembered to thank the servants who had brought it and followed up by saying that he would now have good memories of his first visit to the city, thanks to Lady Shijimi.

Sasuke, at this point, was furiously analyzing the situation, trying to determine what was happening that he had not grasped. Sakura was occupied with a similar train of thought.

"Well, I'm afraid I really must be going," the woman said to Kakashi. "There are representatives from the Wind Country here to discuss trade, and I should get back to them." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Naruto and Sasuke as she spoke, then returned to Kakashi. Her smile seemed to change slightly, though none of the genin could put their finger on how.

"Of course, it was courteous of you to greet us in person, even in passing," Kakashi replied, inclining his head respectfully. "We should really take those replies back home as soon as they are finished anyway. I hope your other guests are appreciative of your hospitality."

"I think that would be best," she said. "I'm certain I shall see you all again someday." With that, she departed, and Team 7 waited with varying degrees of patience. Naruto picked over the crumbs of their small meal. Soon several scrolls were brought out by another member of the household, carried in the same case Kakashi had delivered minutes ago.

"I understand you are in something of a hurry," the woman said, "and Lady Shijimi has instructed me to show you to the side entrance, as it is closer to your route home. This way, please."

She led them out of the home by a different route, then addressed Kakashi a final time, meeting and holding his eyes. "I must return to see to our other guests. They are expected to remain for at least an hour, and may require refreshments. Farewell."

"Let's get moving," Kakashi said. He set a brisk but unhurried pace out of the city, but picked up his speed a bit once they were out of sight. The team followed in silence, sensing that something was going on, and the attitude of quiet curiosity prevailed until they were back home. The return trip was noticeably faster. When they arrived, Kakashi went immediately to report to the Hokage, telling his team to wait outside the office.

…

"She was suspicious, and I believe those suspicions centered on her other guests," Kakashi reported. "I'm certain the meal was a pretext to get us away from the main entrance and into a more private room, and she made a point of indicating both Sasuke and Naruto with her eyes. My guess is that she didn't want her guests to see them. I'm sure you'll hear more when they have a chance to send word securely. She said the visitors were merchants from the Wind Country."

"Hmm." Sarutobi said. "We and other nearby organizations have been seeing a few more contracts lately from there, and there are rumors some of their ninjas are becoming less pleased with our alliance. I'm not certain why merchants would pose a problem though." He took a moment to think things over. "Do you have any idea whether she was warning you to conceal Naruto _and_ Sasuke, or if it was mainly one of them?"

"No," Kakashi answered. "She could have been indicating both out of general caution. Even if someone were looking for one, that doesn't mean they couldn't develop an interest in the other, after all. I think I'm going to have to talk to them about being targets now, instead of putting it off until we have a mission outside of the country. Sakura did a good job of grabbing attention, even if she didn't understand why, but they need some facts."

"Very well. I leave that to your discretion," the Hokage replied. "In the meantime, I will make some discrete inquiries concerning the Wind Country. Dismissed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied.

…

Kakashi collected his team and left the building, then turned to face them. "I know you all wonder what's going on. It's pretty late, so I'll explain it to you tomorrow. I will tell you that nothing is seriously wrong; we left in a bit of a hurry but that was for the sake of being cautious."

The genin weren't thrilled to wait, but neither were they in any mood to argue. More to the point, they were all looking forward to going home to rest in their own beds by now.

Before he got home, however, Naruto found that Kakashi had caught up to him.

"You remember that conversation we had a while ago? About possibly telling your teammates about your prisoner?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered.

"You don't have to decide now," Kakashi said. "You still have a choice. But I just wanted to ask if you'd given it any thought."

Naruto looked around nervously. "I…kind of want to, and kind of don't, if that makes sense," he said, sighing slightly. "Things have been going better lately, with the team. And I'd like them to stay that way, you know?"

Kakashi nodded, regarding his student thoughtfully. "I don't think it will screw things up, but I won't lie and promise you anything I can't guarantee," he said. "I'm bringing it up now because, if you want to tell them, tomorrow will be an opportunity of sorts. It could make sense to do it then. If you don't want to, though, you can wait. You'll still be able to tell them next week, or even next month."

"I…I just don't know," Naruto said. "It's hard to decide, Kakashi-sensei. But…I think I want to try. To tell them, I mean. And I guess if I put it off now, well, I might keep putting it off forever, you know." He let out an explosive breath. "Yeah," he said, meeting Kakashi's eyes. "I'll try."

Kakashi nodded once. "That's a mature decision, Naruto. You should be proud. And I think you'll find your teammates won't let you down."

Naruto was surprised to find he slept easily that night. Somehow, making the choice to trust his teammates, to gamble that they would prove to be friends, felt like it took a weight off his shoulders.

…

The next day, Kakashi took the team to a private, indoor training area, then sat them down.

"There are a couple of things we need to talk about today," Kakashi told them. "First, I want you all to see something."

For the first time since they had met him, Kakashi pushed his forehead protector off his left eye, revealing an ugly scar, and opened it.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, turning to the dark-haired boy. "Please tell your teammates what this is."

"The Sharingan," he began in quiet, almost reverent tones, "is a special eye, passed down through the bloodline of the Uchiha clan. It possesses several powers, which propelled the clan to historic importance. It has been called one of the most powerful bloodline limits in existence, and one of the three great eye techniques. When activated through the use of chakra, it allows the user to comprehend and copy genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu simply by observing them."

"Precisely," Kakashi said, nodding. "I won't go into detail, but I imagine you've wondered how I have one, when I am not an Uchiha. I was once friends with a member of your clan. He died, and left this eye to me to replace one that I lost while we were on a mission together."

Then he looked at all three of his students. "That is a side matter, however, and the key thing is this. This eye is considered extremely valuable. Enemies have tried to kill or capture me in order to take it, and may do so again in the future. Two of you may also be pursued for somewhat similar reasons. Sasuke," he turned toward the boy again, "As one of the last two people carrying your bloodline, and one of the last three people known to have a Sharingan or the potential for one, you are a likely target for kidnapping. When we dropped off our messages at the feudal lord's house, I know you all started to notice that something seemed off. I believe that Lady Shijimi fed us and arranged our speedy departure partly because she did not want one or more of her other guests to see us there."

"Oh, so that's what it was," Sakura said. "I tried to play along, Kakashi-sensei, but I didn't really understand why."

"Yes. And by the way, you all did a decent job of playing along, being polite and unremarkable. Sakura, the way you picked up the conversation was actually perfect, especially since you are the team member I'm least concerned about. The other person who might be hunted by outsiders, as it happens, is Naruto."

Naruto flinched as his two teammates looked at him, Sakura in surprise and Sasuke with a speculative expression. He smiled nervously, then glanced at Kakashi-sensei, who nodded encouragingly.

"Well…it's like this," he started, gathering his thoughts. "Um, I know you've both noticed that I have a lot of chakra, and I don't get tired easily, and I recover fast and stuff. The reason for that is because…," he hesitated for a moment before continuing, "because I have the nine-tailed fox sealed inside me."

Sakura was obviously shocked, and even Sasuke couldn't conceal his surprise.

"I don't even know all the details myself, but the fox attacked the same day I was born," Naruto continued. "I guess the Fourth Hokage had a way to seal it, but he had to use a newborn for it to work, and I drew the short straw."

Kakashi winced at that, but said nothing, and no one noticed. His teammates' silence was not encouraging, but neither was it what he had feared, so Naruto managed to go on after a few moments.

"I have access to some of the fox's chakra, sort of. The way it was explained to me is that the seal lets some of it mix with mine, so then I can use it. That's how I can make a hundred shadow clones and not fall over. But the Hokage told me that some people have used the fox and other things like it as weapons. That's why most people don't know. But I guess since you guys are my teammates, well, you should know," he finished awkwardly.

"That," Kakashi broke in, "is why Naruto might be hunted. Sakura, Sasuke, I want to make sure you understand something clearly. Naruto is not the fox. He is its prison, and its jailor. He's literally kept it locked up his whole life, even when he didn't know, and doing that keeps our village safe. It's a great responsibility, and all the more difficult because he is not usually able to discuss it. Most of the people he's protecting will never find out about it unless we screw up somehow."

"Wow, Naruto," Sakura said, after taking a few more moments to digest the truth. "That's really…I mean it sounds tough. Does it…try to get out?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"As far as I know, it never has," Naruto answered. "But it's not like we talk to each other or something. I know it's there, but that's about it."

"Okay," she said, nodding. The answer seemed to reassure her.

"So that's why we left in a hurry," Sasuke said. "Because you thought someone might come after me or Naruto."

"Yes," Kakashi replied. "Through no fault of your own, both of you are potential targets. Your situations are a bit different, however. Pretty much everyone knows that Sasuke is the last Uchiha, whereas only people in our village are supposed to know about Naruto. His status is classified information, and frankly you two are only cleared for it because you're his teammates and because he wanted to tell you. If someone comes after Sasuke it represents a major personal danger. If someone comes after Naruto it also means that one of the most protected secrets in our village has been compromised."

The three were a bit taken aback at that, even Naruto.

"If we're ever on a mission, and there is a significant threat that Naruto or Sasuke may be captured, I will weigh the risk against the importance of the mission, and we may call it off. Sakura, I mean no offense to you when I say this; you're just as important to me as the two of them. The problem is that capturing Naruto or Sasuke also means an enemy could gain significant power which would be a threat to the village's security. Frankly, there are some people who would probably prefer it if neither of you ever went on missions outside of the village."

The two boys were clearly about to object when Kakashi cut them off, saying, "I didn't say I agreed with them. Fortunately for both of you, I don't think the Hokage agrees with them either. But at the same time, you're going to have to understand that both of you are considered high-value targets. It's unfair, but it's a fact. Because of that, Sakura," he turned toward her, "what you did when you were talking to Lady Shijimi was pretty much the best thing you could have done. In similar situations, I may ask you to grab attention again, in order to distract from your teammates so they can pass unnoticed. No one will be surprised if the female member of our group is the most talkative. Playing on expectations and stereotypes can be an effective way to control what others perceive."

The discussion went on a bit longer, but little else of importance was said until they were ready to leave.

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura said.

"Uh, what is it Sakura-chan?" he replied, with a grin that looked a bit forced.

"Well, I could tell it was hard for you to tell us," she said. "I just wanted to say thanks for trusting us to watch your back."

"I almost didn't, to be honest," the yellow-haired boy admitted. "But…well, we're going to be risking our lives together, right? So I thought you deserved to know, especially since it could put us in danger sometime."

"Well, thanks," Sakura said.

Sasuke gave him what seemed like a respectful nod.

…

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief after he had dismissed his students. He felt confident that they had understood the magnitude of the secret as well as was possible without seeing the fox loose in person, and was gratified that Sasuke and Sakura seemed accepting of Naruto in light of the news. He had hoped that framing the conversation by starting with the dangers to Naruto and Sasuke would make that easier, partly because it implied that their situations were close in other respects, rather than emphasizing how dangerous and evil the fox was.

Despite his words to Naruto the night before, Kakashi had been a bit concerned himself. There was no perfect way to predict how people would react to big news, and he would have felt unbearably guilty if he nudged the boy into a course of action that cost him what very well might be his first two close friends.

_Well, Minato,_ he thought, _I'm doing my best. I hope you're not too disappointed in me._

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Threat Assessment: Hidden Village of Sand (Summary)

Despite some signs of dissatisfaction among many of the village's ninjas, the Kazekage seems to be maintaining a firm grip on the leadership and is reportedly intolerant of those who say they should regard the Leaf as an enemy. He has characterized this attitude as "foolish", according to our reports.

With that in mind, it has become more difficult to remain diplomatic when dealing with Sand ninjas recently, as the Wind Lord's preference to send a growing number of contracts out of the country is antagonizing them severely. This policy benefits us in the short-term, but there could be high long-term costs if the state of affairs continues. This is especially the case if the current Kazekage dies, as there is no clear successor. It seems likely that an ambitious leader could rally the pro-war factions to his cause to secure the position. He would then be obligated to launch a war even if he did not particularly want one.

There have been a few fights between Sand villagers and our own (none of them ninjas) in bars and similar locales. The Kazekage has indicated that what the villagers do is beneath his notice, not asking or ordering them to stop, but neither has he publicly expressed any approval for their belligerence.

Trade between the Wind and Fire countries has increased since the alliance was first formed, to the point that open war would greatly disrupt both nations' economies even if neither side adopted an aggressive stance.

While the projected chance is low, it is also possible that further antagonism between the Sand village and the Wind Lord could lead to his assassination by pro-Sand elements. Alternatively, some form of coercion might be used on the current lord. Either possibility seems more likely the longer he sets himself against the village, and either could lead to massive political disruptions and internal political upheaval, with unpredictable results for our alliance and our interests. Unfortunately, security in both the Wind Lord's household and the Sand village is tight enough that it has been difficult to place agents where more detailed information could be secured. We do know that not all individuals in the government, or even the Wind Lord's family, agree with his policy. How fervently they disagree is not clear at this time.


	5. Builders and Butchers

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

The members of Team 7 were increasingly of the opinion that Hatake Kakashi, whatever his other flaws, was a man with boundless imagination.

No matter how many variations they experienced in terms of training, he always had another. They fought with one eye covered. They practiced with one arm bound behind their backs. They tried to evade pursuit while carrying another team member. He always had a new wrinkle, a new challenge or obstacle that made even the simplest of objectives seem far more difficult than it had any right to be.

Team 7 was of the opinion that Hatake Kakashi could be a rotten bastard sometimes, although they were too wise to come right out and say it. Had they done so, he would most likely have laughed, and told them that they had no idea what difficult training was.

The only saving grace of their endless training sessions was that they tended to be interesting. Physically, they were getting into better shape than they thought possible. Mentally, he was forcing them to think faster, deal with more complex problems, and work around various constraints.

He started adding depth to some of the things they had studied at the academy, such as learning to read an opponent's body language or how to evade enemies who were trying to track you by scent. Many of these were topics they had studied on paper but had not practiced much. He noted that Team 7 might have particular need of escape and evasion training, since he, Naruto and Sasuke were all potential targets of an enemy hunt.

When he thought they had gone over the basics enough, he had them practice by giving them a ten minute head start and telling them to try to reach a set destination which would stand in for friendly territory. Kakashi himself acted as the pursuing force.

He caught them every time. It was infuriating. Naruto eventually managed to be the first to escape by using his shadow clones to generate too many leads for even Kakashi to effectively pursue, but even that didn't work until the third try. The first two times, Kakashi narrowed down the possibilities enough to catch the real Naruto even with several dozen decoys.

The fourth time, Kakashi's water clones slaughtered Naruto's shadow clones, thinning the herd before he caught his student.

Sakura tried everything she could think of. She set traps, masked her scent, moved through running water or treetops, changed her form to hide, and finally cobbled together a primitive glider to try to gain a lead. Kakashi was waiting when she landed. It was driving her nuts.

Sasuke tried running, tried fighting, and at one point considered just starting a forest fire to slow down their implacable teacher. He decided that would probably be a waste however, since Kakashi could either put it out with a water technique or move through the earth beneath the fire to bypass it. At one point, he started using his wires to move between trees to avoid leaving tracks on the ground, then began laying wires in false directions. It still wasn't enough.

"He's like a _leech_," Sakura said disgustedly after the third day of the drill. "It's impossible to shake him."

"I can't even figure out how he's doing it half the time," Naruto said. "I mean, there's scent, sound, and sight, and then whatever Kakashi-sensei is using."

"Experience," Sasuke said. "He obviously knows these woods better. He knows all the routes already, probably knows every single tree."

Finally, on the fourth day, they tried a new approach: they cheated.

When Kakashi told Sakura it was her turn, she sighed, got up, and took off running.

As usual, Kakashi waited for ten minutes before starting to chase her.

Unusually, he was back within twenty without Sakura in tow.

"Alright," he said. "I'm not sure how yet, but I'm fairly certain at least one of you two helped her."

"We've been sitting here the whole time, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied.

Sasuke's smirk and Naruto's grin were not even remotely subtle.

"Cute. Now tell me the truth," he said, eyeing them both. He was trying to be stern, but it was difficult given how amused they looked by the whole thing.

"Do you want me to tell you, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked sweetly, walking toward the other three from behind a cluster of bushes.

Kakashi looked at her for a moment, and for once Team 7's genin felt elated. They had actually done something that surprised him!

"Hmm. Yes, Sakura, please do," Kakashi requested. He seemed to be fighting a smile himself now.

"Well, you're always telling us to try to find creative solutions and that we should work as a team," Sakura explained. "We didn't want you to think we weren't listening. So my teammates helped me avoid leaving tracks. It was sort of Sasuke's idea at first, but we all made it work together. You remember that Naruto was the first one here, right sensei? Well, he had some of his clones go into the trees. When you told me to start, I ran for about seven minutes, I'd say, then used the substitution technique to trade places with Naruto's clones one at a time until I was out of the forest. The clones just cleaned up my tracks and then dispersed when they were done. Very tidy," she finished, smiling.

"Not bad," Kakashi told them. "Later on, you really will have to train to escape on your own, but it's true that there was no fair way for you to pull this off yet. I wanted to see what you could come up with when victory was impossible. I'm not disappointed. I think you're ready for something new."

…

"This paper is used to determine what chakra nature a ninja has affinity for," Kakashi told them. "We already know Sasuke has an affinity with fire, which has been historically true for his clan. It's possible to use techniques with an element that you don't match, but most ninjas find it isn't worthwhile. That's because the less aligned you are with a chakra nature, the more chakra you have to expend on a technique. Since we all have limited chakra, that means it usually isn't wise. In addition to efficiency, it can be harder to use techniques with precision if they aren't of a nature that fits you."

"So what do we have to do?" Naruto asked.

"Sakura, do you know?" Kakashi passed the question.

"If I remember right, we just have to put some of our chakra into the paper. It will react, and the way it does will tell us what our primary affinity is," she answered. "It burns if someone has a fire nature, wrinkles for lightning, turns to dirt for earth, gets damp for water, and wind cuts it."

"Correct, Sakura," Kakashi affirmed. "Watch."

Kakashi held up the paper in two fingers, and it suddenly wrinkled.

"Lightning is my primary nature. I'm a jounin, so I've also discovered that I have lesser affinities for Earth and Water. Many ninja never learn techniques from more than one elemental nature, and that's not necessarily a problem for them. As a ninjutsu specialist, variety is largely what keeps me alive. If I had relied solely on lightning techniques all these years, you'd have a different teacher. Now, Sakura, Naruto, let's see what kind of techniques you might be able to learn."

Of course, Kakashi had a pretty good guess what kind of techniques Naruto could use, since he had known his parents. As a result, he was unsurprised to see the boy had an affinity for Wind techniques.

Sakura wasn't sure what element, if any, her grandfather had learned to use when he was a ninja. Despite knowing what to expect in general, she was still a bit surprised when the paper in her hand crumbled and fell apart, turning to dirt.

"Earth for me, I guess," she said.

"All right. Before we move on, Sasuke," he turned to his third student, "I think you can afford to take your first step in discovering your second elemental affinity. This is a bit earlier than most people would do it, but you have experience with nature manipulation for your fire techniques, so I don't think it's unreasonable."

Suppressing the fire affinity temporarily so that Sasuke's less prominent nature would show through took a bit of effort, but the work was rewarded when the paper wrinkled in his hand.

"Lightning," Kakashi pronounced, nodding. "All right, listen up. Sasuke, Sakura, you two are in luck. I can help you both learn how to perform nature manipulation appropriate to your needs. Naruto, I'm afraid you're a bit less lucky," he said, turning to the boy. "I can try to help you get started, but I don't have a wind nature myself. That means that there will be some limits to what I can do to help you out. Before we do move forward, however, there is one thing I'd like to say. Sasuke already knows this, but picking up nature manipulation is hard. I wouldn't have you start if I thought you couldn't do it, but it will be very difficult. It could take months to make significant progress. Sasuke, you'll find that picking up a second affinity is just as tricky as the first one. Don't expect to be an expert tomorrow."

Despite Naruto's enthusiasm, Sasuke's determination and Sakura's curiosity, Kakashi's words proved quite correct. By the end of the day, they had barely managed to make any progress, and were noticeably drained. By the end of the week they had seen a few scattered signs of success, but nothing consistent. Soon Sakura and even Naruto resigned themselves to the fact that it would take time to progress any further on this particular front.

In the meantime, Kakashi had also taken steps to individualize their training. He worked with Naruto on more precise chakra control and molding his energy more efficiently. He trained Sakura more thoroughly in her hand-to-hand skills, helping her improve her reflexes and power. Sasuke received some tips on how to make hand seals more efficiently, and on how to form hand seals without molding chakra as a feint, among other things.

Eventually, after more than two-and-a-half months of D-rank missions and training, Team 7 received its first C-ranked mission. It was also the first mission that would take them out of the country.

…

That morning, on the way to receive their orders, the genin had been asking Kakashi about chakra management.

"At its most basic, chakra management comes down to a simple choice," he told them. "You can go for a quick victory, which usually means using more powerful and tiring techniques right away, or you can try to outlast your opponent. A lot of the time, circumstances will dictate your approach. If you need to reinforce another squad elsewhere, you'll probably have to go for a quick victory. If you're on defense and you need to stall for time, then it might be time for a more cautious approach."

"Wouldn't your opponent's strength also determine how much chakra you have to use?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, that's definitely part of it," Kakashi answered. "The truth is that there isn't usually a clear line dividing the two approaches, however the theory goes. Real combat isn't that cut-and-dried. You're always trying to balance your need to defeat a current opponent against your need to be ready for the next one. It's tough to do, and luck does come into play sometimes."

The conversation died away as they reached the administrative building and went upstairs to see the Hokage.

"Ah, Team 7," Sarutobi said in greeting. "Kakashi, I believe you said your team is ready for a C-rank mission?"

"Wait, really?" Naruto exclaimed. "Kakashi-sensei, you're the best! I knew it!"

"Yes, I think it's time," Kakashi said. "What's our mission, Hokage-sama?"

"There is a bridge-builder here from the Wave Country," the Hokage told them. "His name is Tazuna, and he's hired us to provide protection from bandits and thugs until the bridge is completed. I gather he's expecting someone to try to put pressure on the workers, or maybe just kill him. He's the architect and foreman, so losing him might end the construction project."

Naruto sobered slightly as he processed the fact that this mission would likely mean Team 7's first real-life combat. Even if they were only facing bandits, rather than enemy ninja, it would still be a major change from practice.

Sakura was trying to sort out her own feelings at the news as well. Sasuke felt mainly a sort of impatience. He knew he would have to be ready to fight in real life, and kill, in order to accomplish his goals. He didn't think it would be easy, but sometimes he just wished it could be over and done with. He'd waited and worked for years already, and the prospect of being patient longer was not a pleasant one, even if he knew it was necessary.

Once the Hokage was done explaining the mission, an assistant went to bring in Tazuna, the client.

"This them?" he asked as he slowly entered the room. "They don't look like much. A bunch of brats, huh?"

Sasuke concluded that Kakashi's attempts to simulate clients had been fairly accurate. He hadn't even been introduced to this man yet, and he had already proven to be irritating.

Sakura wondered if most people thought it was smart to insult those they had hired to protect them. She also found it a bit galling that the man was criticizing their appearance, when he looked like a slovenly, possibly drunk, and thoroughly washed-up mess, but she managed to refrain from saying anything even as her inner self urged her to go smack him.

"Who's a brat, huh?" Naruto answered belligerently. "I guess we already know why you need protection; you can't walk into a room without saying something to piss people off."

"Whatever," Tazuna said, ignoring him. "I expect you all to keep me totally safe on the way home and while I'm building our bridge. It's not like people with my amazing skills are all that common, you know."

Kakashi sighed, resigning himself to days spent protecting the client from his own team as well as the enemy, and then got down to business arranging the departure details.

…

Tazuna and Naruto somehow managed to bicker most of the distance between the Leaf Village and the Wave Country, until Sakura finally sidetracked them both by asking if the small nation had any ninjas of its own.

"No, that's for rich countries like yours," Tazuna said.

"While many smaller nations do have their own hidden villages, the Wave Country doesn't," Kakashi told her. "Partly because of their location, I think. While they are between the Fire Nation and the Water Nation, they aren't directly in line between us. Because of that, they've been able to avoid a lot of wars, historically. People in the country usually hire from our village or the Hidden Mist village when they need ninjas for something."

"Hmm, so we won't see other ninjas on this mission, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"No reason we should," Kakashi replied. "Of course, anything is possible in theory, and you should always assume that things could go wrong. Tazuna-san here told us that he's only expecting thugs, although rogue ninja sometimes try to pass themselves off as common bandits. That's risky, though, since missing-nin usually have a price on their heads and most bandits would happily turn them in for the reward. In fact, getting tips from other criminals that they deal with is one of the most common ways for a hidden village to track down deserters."

"But aren't most bandits on the cowardly side?" Sakura asked. "I mean, I know that greed isn't uncommon or anything, but crossing a missing-nin is dangerous. I would think most of them wouldn't want to chance it."

"You're a good deal smarter than most criminals, Sakura," Kakashi answered. "While they won't face a missing-nin head-on, many of them are quite ready to believe they can stab them in the back and get away with it. People who become bandits are often pretty short-sighted, and there's a tendency among most people to assume that things will work out the way they want, even if they should know better. That's one reason a lot of your training since the academy has focused on dealing with unexpected problems."

…

At first Naruto expected a dramatic surprise attack while they were on their way to their destination, but that proved to be unfounded. The trip was pretty uneventful, with Sakura spending some time asking Tazuna about the Wave country.

When they reached Tazuna's hometown, however, things were different. People in the streets would look at the group briefly and then look away. Some stared when they thought they would not be seen. A few almost looked like they were about to approach Tazuna, but backed off at the sight of his companions. The architect himself said nothing, but after a bit he quickened his pace, and his face took on a concerned expression.

"Something's wrong," he said.

They were getting near his home when someone finally walked up to the group. Tazuna and the man clearly knew each other.

"Tazuna, don't worry," he said. "They're all right. They're safe."

Tension seemed to drain from the older man's body, his head and shoulders drooping. After a moment, he looked up again.

"I've seen the looks, Daichi," Tazuna said quietly. "What's happened?"

The man hesitated for a moment. "Are these the ninjas you went to hire?"

"Yes, you can talk in front of them," the old man said. "I'm their official employer."

The man seemed to be sizing Team 7 up a bit dubiously for a moment, but soon returned his attention to Tazuna, taking a deep breath before he spoke again. "It's…your home. One of Gatou's men, I assume. Someone started a fire. They got out in time, like I said, though. They weren't hurt. I guess Inari saw the smoke right away, and warned his mother. They didn't have time to grab much, but they're fine. It was late when it happened, almost no one was awake. I guess Inari was having trouble sleeping or something. It seems like no one was supposed to notice until it was too late."

"Where are they?" Tazuna asked.

"They're hiding out in my cousin's basement, actually," the man said, smiling slightly. "I figured since you two can't stand each other, no one would look there, and he owes me a big favor for getting him that job." His smile disappeared again as he went on. "My wife and I are the only ones who know right now, except for him, and now you. Inari's scared, but he's holding up pretty well, and you know his mom's tough in her own way, especially when it comes to Gatou. I try not to go by too often, so no one will notice."

"Good, that's good," Tazuna replied a bit woodenly. "I…thanks for looking after them, Daichi. For a minute I thought I was going to get home too late."

"We're all trying to hold on to hope, Tazuna. It's been hard, but we're not giving up yet." Daichi paused for a moment. "Look, I'm ashamed to say this, so I'm not going to put it off. My wife and I will give you some dinner tonight, but…I can't let you stay in our home. I'm sorry." He looked away, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Tazuna grimaced for a moment, but his voice was a little less rough than usual when he spoke again. "I think it's probably best if I don't take you up on that. I don't want to draw attention to you or your family. I'll camp out near the bridge. If Gatou's grown this bold, it's probably best to make sure my guards are near there anyway." They were both silent for a moment, then Tazuna spoke again "Thanks, Daichi. If you get the chance, tell my daughter and Inari I made it back okay, and I'll try to finish this as soon as I can."

Daichi looked relieved and ashamed, but only nodded and said, "I will. Goodbye, old friend," before departing.

Tazuna sighed, trying to absorb the news.

"Some friend," Naruto muttered under his breath. "He didn't seem like he really wanted to help."

"Daichi has two daughters, one younger than you and one the worst age for dealing with bandits," Tazuna snapped at him in a fury. "His father-in-law lives with them too, and the old man can't walk without help. He sure as hell can't run if there's trouble. He's already done more than I would ever ask. If you have kids one day, you might understand, but until then shut your mouth."

They walked to the bridge and set camp for the night in a subdued silence.

…

The next day, Tazuna talked to Kakashi first thing in the morning, while they ate breakfast.

"He'll probably hear I'm back with guards sometime today, so I'm guessing there will be trouble tomorrow, if not sooner," he told the masked jounin. "I don't know exactly how many guys he has near here. In the past, he's mostly used threats and intimidated people unless they confronted him directly first, but things have been getting more open since we started on the bridge. I guess it's gotten even worse while I was gone. He's never gone after families before, only threatened to."

"It sounds like he's decided your neighbors aren't afraid enough," Kakashi observed. "Do you think the workers will show up today?"

"Most will," Tazuna said confidently. "A few will come to quit rather than work, but most of those will let me talk them into staying." He looked at Kakashi. "I know these men well. They're not warriors, but they're not all cowards either. Threatening my family will scare them, but also make them hate Gatou more, and make it harder for them to say no to me when I keep working."

Kakashi had to smile a bit at that. "For a builder, it seems like you understand people pretty well."

Tazuna snorted. "Nothing gets built without people. Besides, I have the wisdom of age."

"Of course," Kakashi replied.

There was silence for a moment, before Tazuna broke it again. "Can those kids with you really fight?" he asked. "I know ninjas start young, but I've never actually met any before. It just seems so strange."

Kakashi looked him in the eye. "They can fight, and win. Under the circumstances, I'd say they might even fight a bit harder than usual, especially the boys."

…

Tazuna's predictions proved to be essentially accurate. Most of the workers did show up, and few were able to bear the shame of walking away from the project while Tazuna was still working on it. He seemed to struggle a bit with talking one man, named Giichi, into continuing. After Tazuna said he could go, Giichi felt too ashamed to go through with it, and several others seemed to follow his lead, returning to work. Some of them also took heart when they saw Kakashi, although the sight of Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke was less effective in boosting morale.

His other prediction also proved correct. It was midafternoon when Sasuke returned from his lookout position to report to Kakashi that he had seen armed and disreputable-looking men approaching.

"How many?" Kakashi asked him.

"I counted twenty-three," the boy replied. "Most were carrying swords, knives, clubs and similar weapons. I saw no sign that any of them was more than a bandit, or of anyone else following them. They should be here in about ten minutes. I spotted two likely ambush positions, if you want to strike first."

Kakashi called Sakura, Naruto and Tazuna over to confer. At this point, it was pretty much his show, he knew, but Tazuna would still have to be told what was happening.

"We're going to let them get close, then surprise them. Tazuna-san, I imagine they'll want to threaten you before initiating violence. Either way, we might give them a chance to talk but we will protect you and your people. We'll be out of sight for a bit. I recommend you just pretend not to know they're coming."

Tazuna agreed, and Kakashi took his team into the trees on one side of the nearby road.

"I trust your eyes, Sasuke, but we can't let our guard down or assume these men are alone. If you're right, then the three of you can probably handle all of them without my help, so I'm going to stay out of the ambush and watch for any other enemies, or any sign that one of them is a ninja in disguise. You will take up these positions," he indicated three hiding places, "then attack on my signal. I recommend using your grand fireball technique to scatter them once you have their attention. Naruto's shadow clones should do most of the work in close, while the three of you isolate individual targets to take down one at a time without exposing yourselves. Try to capture their leader alive. More information is always a good thing."

The three did as they were ordered, preparing for their first real fight. Naruto felt nervous but confident. Sakura just felt nervous. Sasuke's face betrayed nothing, but the way he was gripping his kunai suggested either apprehension or eagerness.

In a few minutes the crowd of men was close. They were audible before they were visible, and even Naruto was a bit amazed at their apparent lack of concern.

_I guess they don't really see the need to take this seriously,_ Kakashi thought. _Intimidating villagers is probably nothing new to them._

They walked into the area as expected with what Kakashi found to be an amusing, but not surprising, lack of attention to their surroundings. They were just starting to make noise and threaten the construction crew when Kakashi gave his signal.

Sasuke jumped from his hiding spot to place himself between the two groups of men, already finishing the seals for the grand fireball as he did so. A few of them looked disdainful at first, including the thugs' leader, although Kakashi was interested to note that two of them were suddenly much more alert and appeared to be planning to run for it. Those two must have encountered a ninja before.

The blast of fire sent the brutish-looking men diving and running out of the way. In the first few seconds, half of them blundered into a waiting shadow clone. A few had the sense to run around the cone of flame and rush Sasuke from both sides, but he just turned his flame on the pair to his left, while Sakura took care of the one on his right, sweeping his legs and catching his jaw with an uppercut as he fell. Of the pair Sasuke targeted, one was lucky enough to lose little more than his jacket – which he quickly threw away – and some hair. He ran straight for the edge of the bridge and leapt into the water to douse the flames. The second was less fortunate, sustaining significant burns to one arm and the left side of his face. That one was rolling across the ground, screaming in pain as he tried to beat the flames out.

Sasuke had already moved on, zeroing in on the leader as instructed. The man was either arrogant or brave, and stood his ground against the boy, but quickly found himself slashing wildly at thin air as his smaller, faster opponent practically danced around him. Sasuke cut one hand and then struck the nerves in the other, causing the man to drop his sword by reflex, then knocked him unconscious when he tried to recover the weapon.

In the meantime, Naruto's clones were mopping up the rest, including the pair that had run for it as soon as Sasuke started breathing fire. His methods were quite straightforward; the clones just kept punching and kicking until the enemy stayed down. As a result, he had a literal pile of bruised, beaten bandits at his feet as he directed his shadow clones from the rear. Those with the sense to stop struggling soon enough remained conscious.

Kakashi detected no trace of any observers, and it became clear pretty quickly that none of the thugs was hiding any talents. The genin soon had the skirmish wrapped up, with no significant injuries. A few of Naruto's clones had been destroyed, usually because they allowed it to happen in order to take down their opponents more quickly. As for the bandits, one was badly burned, a few had been singed a bit at the very beginning, and the rest had an assortment of lumps, bruises, and a couple of broken bones.

Sakura almost felt sympathetic for a moment; they had never stood a chance against trained ninjas. When she looked back at the builders and saw the way they eyed the captives, that feeling died. There was obvious fear and hatred in their faces, as well as a great deal of surprise. Many of them had expected disaster to befall the project, and they seemed shocked that something was going right.

Kakashi had his team tie them up and looked over the knots to make sure they had done a thorough job.

"We can turn them into the authorities, but I don't know how long they'll stay imprisoned," Tazuna told Kakashi. "Gatou has bought some people, and others are afraid of him. Still, it will keep them out of our hair temporarily."

"It's not a problem," Kakashi told him. "At the very least, Gatou won't bother sending them after you again. And if he does, we'll just kill them next time."

Several of the thugs flinched or turned pale at that part; he had said it in a very matter-of-fact tone. Sasuke, who was watching them at the time, added to the impact by smiling slightly as he sharpened one of his kunai. At least one of the bandits tried to edge away from him, clearly creeped out. Where his youth had surprised them at first and would have seemed laughable in a civilian, their certainty that he could kill them made it more menacing. They shied away from meeting his eyes as he sat facing them.

After that, Kakashi grabbed the group's leader and took him out of sight. He left the genin to watch the prisoners and keep an eye on the perimeter.

When he returned, the prisoner looked considerably more afraid than when he left, but didn't appear to have been actually harmed in any way.

Next, the burned man was taken away. When he came back, he had bandages covering the marked parts of his arm and face. After that, Kakashi took each man aside one at a time. When two of the prisoners started to whisper to each other, Sasuke convinced them to stop by throwing a kunai directly between their faces.

Soon enough, all of them had been interrogated. Kakashi absently ordered Sasuke to gag them all, and the group convened once more.

"They don't know much that matters, for our purposes," the jounin said. "A few tips on where Gatou gets his hires, and things like that which are interesting but not immediately helpful. They did say, however, that they are fairly certain Gatou himself is nearby and that he has hired ninjas in the past. They don't know details, but given that they failed I think we can expect that anyone else Gatou sends will be more dangerous, which basically means it will have to be a ninja."

They all nodded, absorbing what that meant. C-rank missions were only expected to include non-ninja opposition, generally thugs like the ones they had just fought, or sometimes dangerous animals. That was why genin – and especially fresh genin – usually handled such missions. It could put them in a real combat situation while stacking the deck in their favor, so they could gain experience and survive the process. If they faced other ninja, it would automatically qualify as a B-rank mission at least.

"Tazuna only paid the fee for a C-rank mission, and frankly I'm not certain I can justify risking you all against enemy ninja, particularly since we have no information about their identities, capabilities or numbers," Kakashi told them.

"But Kakashi-sensei, you saw how we handled those guys!" Naruto exclaimed. "I mean, I know you have to think about things but we're doing great! They never stood a chance."

"Is there any way we can learn more about the enemy before making a choice?" Sasuke asked. "I understand caution is important, but I'd prefer not to run away."

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, I really don't want to leave Tazuna-san now," Sakura added. "I mean, we've been in town; things are pretty bad here, and if we leave, that's pretty much the end of this bridge. His family is hiding so he can finish this."

Kakashi seemed to mull that over carefully for a minute. "The truth is that abandoning contracts is meant to be a last resort, for obvious reasons." He seemed to come to a decision. "There may be a way to learn some more. I'll look into it."

…

Early the next morning, Kakashi sent Sakura and Sasuke into town with some oddly specific instructions. The pair was told to go to a particular restaurant for breakfast, request an indoor table, and take their time eating. Most importantly, when they left Sakura dropped a small, folded note on the table as they collected their things.

Sasuke considered it an interesting puzzle, and assumed that an employee at the place must be connected to their village somehow. That was the only possibility that made sense.

Sakura reached a similar conclusion, then put the matter aside so she could enjoy eating alone with Sasuke. He wasn't particularly talkative, but it was still nice enough that she wanted to go thank Kakashi-sensei afterward.

They noticed that some of the natives seemed to stare at them openly, while others glanced at them when they thought they could do so unseen, but no one seemed disapproving. There was curiosity and some concern, but the two decided that emotion was probably more focused on the situation they were part of, rather than the two of them personally. On the way through town, they saw a few things they had missed upon arrival; the market looked slow, and a lot of the residents had a defeated air as they walked around, as if they were waiting for an inevitable misfortune.

Despite that, the day was relatively uneventful as far as the four Leaf ninjas could determine. No one came to bother the bridge crew, and no new troubles were reported in town.

…

It was afternoon by the time Gatou could arrange a meeting with the freelance specialist he wanted. The man had done several contracts for him before, and both had profited from their association. Momochi Zabuza was an expert assassin, and had two others in his employ as well. He could kill neatly when it was desired, although he enjoyed contracts where Gatou wanted an example made significantly more. The Demon Brothers were similarly inclined, but also disciplined enough (and sufficiently afraid of him) that they never indulged themselves when ordered not to.

The three missing-nin had been paid well for their services to Gatou over the last few months, both in money and in the careful application of his influence to help them avoid being reported to the hunters from the Village Hidden in the Mist. In turn, Gatou had managed to extend his official and unofficial power in the Wave Country a good deal faster than he had originally expected.

As Gatou walked into the room, he wondered once again what to make of the young boy who always seemed to be at Zabuza's side. As far as he knew Zabuza himself and the Demon Brothers had taken care of every contract, so he was not certain what Zabuza kept the boy around for.

He ended his speculation as Haku finished glancing around the room, then left, taking up a guard position outside opposite one of Gatou's own men. With security confirmed, Zabuza entered.

"Gatou," he said emotionlessly.

"Zabuza," the businessman returned. "I have another job. A target, apparently guarded by four ninjas. They dealt with a few of my men, and I'd like a message to be sent that hiring some kids does not keep people safe from my influence. I don't care about the guards, but I want the target killed. Make it messy if there's time. There may be follow-up work afterward, depending on how things go."

Zabuza considered silently for a moment. "The target?"

"Tazuna, the man in charge of the bridge-building project. I'm certain you know of it. I have a picture of him here," Gatou said, handing over the photograph as he did so. "I want results as fast as possible; at this point, every second he lives damages my position in Wave Country."

"Do you have any information on those guarding him? You said something about kids."

"My information indicates three of them are young, while the fourth is considerably older," Gatou answered. "They're from the Leaf Village. Unfortunately I don't really have any details at this point."

Zabuza grunted. "Three kids and a babysitter. Those are fresh genin, probably. The other may be dangerous." He considered. "I imagine the Demon Brothers can handle it. I'll send them out when they get back tomorrow."

They haggled briefly, then parted ways.

…

Kakashi felt himself expecting trouble more and more strongly the longer nothing happened. The bridge crew all seemed to be working a little more enthusiastically after yesterday's victory, and the team was riding high on its first real-world success, making it hard for them to keep perspective, but Kakashi was far too experienced to fall prey to such a mistake.

As a result, he was ready when two figures emerged from the water and struck.

For Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, the first moment they realized they were under attack was when they heard the sounds of sudden movement and workers yelling and turned to see their sensei being ripped apart. He looked surprised as the assailants struck him down.

"One down," the two hostile ninja said in unison. The pair were dressed as mirror images of each other, and had some sort of serrated chain between them, attached to the large, bladed gauntlets each wore on one hand. They looked a bit ragged, but decidedly deadly nonetheless. They killed with the air of people who have done it many times before, and expect to do it many times in the future.

Sakura and Naruto were frozen in shock at the sight. The enemies didn't hesitate; as they spoke they were already acquiring their next target and moving toward Naruto. He was trying to recover from his shock as they grew near, and began turning to face them. Just as their chain began looping around him and they started to separate, drawing it closed, a kunai struck the chain and then embedded itself point-first in the ground, trapping the nearest links. Two more thrown knives followed it closely, hitting the adjacent links in an identical fashion.

Rather than struggle with their now-impaired weapon, the two ninja used the quick release on the chains, letting them fall to the ground. As they did that, however, the one with the gauntlet on his left hand soon found Sasuke's foot driving at his face. He clawed at the leg extending towards him only to feel the Uchiha's hands grabbing his arm, and a half-second later he got kicked in the side of his head with the boy's other leg. That ninja went down but quickly rolled back to his feet, narrowing his eyes as Sasuke charged him.

In the meantime, the other had lunged at Naruto, who was the closest target. By now, though, he had unfrozen enough for trained reflexes to kick in. He threw two shuriken with his right hand while leaping back and drawing a kunai in the other. Sakura, at this point, looked around quickly to make sure there were no other enemies as she tried to figure out what to do.

Abruptly, the two enemies both changed tactics, running straight for Tazuna. Sasuke and Naruto chased them. Sakura, who was standing closer to the man, ran in front of him, drawing a kunai of her own.

They never got there. One second, the girl was bracing for battle. The next, Kakashi was suddenly there, catching an unconscious enemy in each hand.

"Well, that was a bit exciting," he said calmly.

Tazuna and the nearby workers were looking on in awe, while Naruto exclaimed loudly at seeing sensei alive again. Sakura felt relieved.

"Did they cut any of you?" Kakashi asked his team. "Their weapons appear to be poisoned, so say something now if they did."

Fortunately, all of the genin had avoided being cut. Once the prisoners were secure and the workers were calmed down (which Kakashi helped Tazuna accomplish), the squad once again drew to the side to talk.

"You all did fairly well," Kakashi said. "I'm sorry for leaving you on your own like that, but I had to make sure they were alone, and I wanted to be certain they were here for Tazuna. Naruto, Sakura, don't feel bad that you froze up. Real combat is like nothing else. You recovered pretty quickly, and I think you'll find next time you're able to act right away. Sasuke," he turned to look at his third student, "good work."

"I thought you were dead, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said.

"I know," he replied. "But if that ever happens, you have to be ready to act. It's not impossible. At least now, you'll be able to cope better in the future."

…

Kakashi had made sure to thoroughly disarm and bind the two enemies, and took pictures of their faces. He then attached a small explosive note to each one's head, and told them that if they tried to escape the notes would go off. They were soon taken away like the thugs from the other day, though they were imprisoned with a great deal more care.

That evening, Sakura and Naruto quietly dropped a small envelope behind a certain building in town. The envelope contained a coded note written by Kakashi, as well as the pictures.

…

Gatou was not happy.

"I told you I needed a statement," he said loudly. "This is humiliating; I'm going to have to add to the bodies just to get them to take my threats seriously again. And it's one thing to get my own men off the hook for crimes, but ninjas are another matter!"

"I'll break them out myself," Zabuza said. "There's no need for your assistance."

"Fine," Gatou replied. "What about the contract? The bridge-builder is still alive, and those ninjas will be even more on their guard now!"

"I'll deal with that myself as well," the missing-nin answered. "Just do what you can to suppress the news about my men so it doesn't leak to the Mist Village. I'll kill your problem tomorrow. After this job, I'll have to relocate to somewhere else, but I finish my contracts."

Gatou's eyes narrowed. "Fine, but you'd better come through. We've both profited from our dealings, Zabuza, but you aren't the only freelance ninja I can hire. Don't screw up again." He jerked his head at his two bodyguards, and the three men departed their meeting.

Zabuza stood still for a moment, then turned and walked away.

"Did he truly irritate you that much, Zabuza-san?" the boy at his side inquired.

"Enough to kill if I had to listen to anymore."

"How fortunate for him that he had no more to say."

Zabuza turned to look at the smiling boy. "You have an odd sense of humor, Haku."

The boy's smile grew wider at that. "I was simply wondering how much luck he has left after surviving this conversation. I suspect it is not much."

Zabuza let out an amused grunt before the pair lapsed back into silence.

…

The next morning, Kakashi was studying some papers when the rest of Team 7 woke up.

"What's that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked him.

"These are files with information on the Demon Brothers, those two ninjas we defeated yesterday," he answered.

"The Demon Brothers?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "That title seems a bit…grand, given their lack of success."

"Don't underestimate your enemies," Kakashi said firmly. "You three surprised them with your skill and reaction times, but they're dangerous men with a number of kills behind them. Most of those are assassinations where the target didn't know something was happening until the last moment."

"Hey, why are you studying the guys we beat already, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with a frown. "That doesn't make sense."

Kakashi looked at him and nodded in acknowledgment. "That's a fair question. What I'm looking at right now isn't information about them, precisely. It's a list of known associates and past contracts. And according to this list, the Demon Brothers are suspected to work with or for Momochi Zabuza."

"I think I know that name," Sakura frowned. "But I'm not sure where I came across it."

"He's a missing-nin from the Hidden Village of Mist," Sasuke told her, "and a bloodthirsty one, I think, but I don't know more than that. I saw a reference to him in passing somewhere."

"I'm not surprised if you've come across the name," Kakashi said, addressing his squad. "Zabuza is sometimes called the Demon of the Bloody Mist. As a part of graduation, students in the Hidden Mist's academy used to have to fight to the death. That changed after the year Zabuza graduated, mainly because he was the only student who survived. The most extreme rumors say he killed all of the other students himself, which is false. The fact that he was the last one standing is still telling, though. Unfortunately, he got a reputation for being bloodthirsty and vicious which eventually led to some problems with the Mizukage. Zabuza eventually tried to kill him, but he failed. He's been on the run as a missing-nin ever since."

"So, you think he's likely to attack next," Sasuke concluded. "If he is suspected of working with the Demon Brothers, then it would be a logical assumption. How dangerous is Zabuza to us?"

"Facing the Demon Brothers made this a B-rank mission," Kakashi answered. "If Zabuza shows up, it is automatically an A-rank. Keep in mind that while his coup attempt failed, he survived trying to kill a kage. Momochi Zabuza is a bloodthirsty butcher, by all reports, but he's controlled enough that he is still alive despite being on the run, which means he's smart as well. Idiots don't survive being chased by hunter-nin."

He paused again for his students to absorb the information.

"Of course, it's not certain that he will show. He may not be associated with the Demon Brothers after all. He could have worked with them before but split up recently. Or, he could be too far away, or even be dead. Uncertainty is common when trying to track and predict missing-nin. With all that said, however, my gut says he'll show up. If he does," Kakashi's voice shifted to a more commanding tone, "your orders are not to get in the way when I fight him. Protect Tazuna and stay clear. That's all."

They acknowledged the order. The timing was fortunate, because it was only a few minutes later that Zabuza began his attack.

…

The first move was subtle compared to the Demon Brothers'. Slowly, mist began to form, rising from the river. It grew higher and thicker over the course of several minutes.

Kakashi had Tazuna send the workers out of the way, while he gathered his team close to the man they were guarding. It wasn't like they could continue doing their jobs when they couldn't see more than a few feet in any direction anyway. He had his team gather in a simple triangle around Tazuna, while he pushed up his forehead protector to free his Sharingan.

"The man who has copied more than 1,000 techniques…Sharingan Kakashi," said an ominous voice. Team 7 and their client couldn't tell where it was coming from; it seemed to echo from every direction at once. "I'm not surprised the Demon Brothers failed against you. I guess they must not have realized who they were up against."

Sasuke tried not to let himself get distracted by the implications of that sentence, but found it difficult. More than 1,000 techniques? That had to be an exaggeration. Sakura and Naruto, on the other hand, were seized with a new appreciation for just how cool their instructor must be.

"How should I kill you?" the voice said in a musing tone. "There are so many ways…the heart, lungs, spine, brain…do you have a preference?"

"He'll most likely come after me first, but stay alert," Kakashi said.

The tension was growing with every moment that passed. Zabuza's silence, Kakashi knew, was proving a more effective tool now than any further words could have. He had planted seeds of fear, and the pressure of the situation would nurture them quickly. Soon, Sasuke was shaking slightly, his eyes wide, while his teammates stood unnaturally still.

"Sasuke, don't worry," Kakashi told him reassuringly. "I don't let my teammates die."

"I don't need your permission," the voice said from behind Kakashi.

He rapidly turned to face it, drawing a kunai and striking, but the response was too slow. A swift form lunged forward out of the mist, swinging a gigantic sword that cut right through Kakashi, then halted to pivot on one foot and charge toward Sasuke, drawing the blade back to strike. Two steps later, it changed direction again, darting off to one side just as Kakashi reappeared, kicking the air it had vacated a moment earlier. Afterward, Kakashi disappeared into the mist once again, and Sasuke noted the puddle of water where he had seen his teacher get cut in half – clearly a water clone, then.

"So, is that the power of your Sharingan, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked from the mist. "Yet it doesn't seem to help you find me now."

The two jounin continued to silently stalk through the mist. Kakashi knew that time was on his side, to an extent; the mist technique consumed a significant amount of chakra, and maintaining it for much longer would severely limit Zabuza's options for the rest of the fight. He could always try to charge straight for Tazuna, but that was risky enough that it wasn't likely. He could also disengage and come back later, in the hopes of catching them off-guard, but that also seemed improbable; the man was the type to commit to a fight and see it through, and his bloodlust, once awakened, was reportedly something he found it hard to deny.

Zabuza was a patient man, but he couldn't find a real opening in Kakashi's defense. He decided he would have to try to create one.

After more than a minute of silence, Sasuke was shocked to find Zabuza was charging him, slashing down with his massive sword. He leapt sideways, shouting in surprise as he evaded and pushing Tazuna out of the way at the same time. Before he could attempt to counter the attack, however, Kakashi emerged from the mist, driving his kunai into the enemy's shoulder and then slashing his throat.

Zabuza's form turned into water, splashing onto the ground as Kakashi's eyes widened. At the same time, the huge sword became visible behind Kakashi, and cleaved him in two from his head down in an almost perfectly straight line. This time, however, it was Zabuza who was surprised to see another water clone losing cohesion under his blow. He recovered quickly, and was about to disappear back into the mist when he felt a blade at his throat and became aware of Kakashi's presence behind him.

"It's over," the Leaf jounin said.

"I think not," the missing-nin replied, just as his own sword cut him in two. The slash went cleanly through the water clone and Kakashi was unable to evade it completely as the true, original Zabuza finally showed himself. The blade inflicted a shallow cut on his arm as the copy ninja's famous eye locked onto his opponent.

The two traded blows for a minute. Zabuza's blade was huge to the point that it should have been cumbersome at such close range, but the man was clearly an expert and seemed to have no trouble dealing with the disadvantages his weapon conferred. At the same time, he struck with frightening speed and brutal strength, and the blade was large and sturdy enough that he could use it to block kicks and punches.

As the mist began to dissipate, Zabuza began retreating, finally leaping backward off the bridge to land on the water. He was already beginning hand signs before he landed, and finished by saying, "Crashing wave technique."

A massive wall of water rose up in front of him and rushed toward the bridge and its five remaining occupants. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke managed to get Tazuna out of the way. Because he was so close to the water, however, Kakashi was unable to dodge completely. When the wave had passed, Zabuza was just starting another water technique.

Kakashi began to copy his movements precisely, and the missing-nin's eyebrows rose as he realized his opponent's seal-making speed was faster than his own. The Leaf jounin caught up to him as he ended the technique, and they simultaneously shouted, "Water dragon blast!"

This time, two identical formations of water took shape, one behind each man's shoulder. The two crashed into each other and burst, showering both combatants.

Zabuza smirked, but as Kakashi began to turn it was already too late.

"Water prison!" said the figure standing behind him, and suddenly he was enveloped in a sphere of water, mostly made from what was left after he and the first Zabuza exchanged identical water blasts. That figure, a water clone, dispersed while the one that now held him captive looked over toward Kakashi's three students and the man under their protection. "Now," he said, "it's over."

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Recommendation: Mission request by architect/engineer Tazuna (Summary)

The businessman known as Gatou has assumed great political and financial importance in recent years, through increasingly unscrupulous tactics. While his early efforts were slow and patient, relying on carefully-laid plans, more recent developments have displayed a lack of the subtlety which characterized the man's earlier strategies. We estimate that his ambition will likely overreach his ability without outside interference, likely leading to his death or incarceration.

In the meantime, however, he is exerting influence over a growing number of towns in the Wave Country, largely using his connections and money to convince officials to look the other way, or threatening them. Blackmail, extortion, and murder have all been employed.

Gatou has actually brought economic benefits to some areas as a whole; the man's business savvy is as genuine as his ruthlessness. Wave Country exports are up largely because of his efforts to expand trade and move the economy beyond subsistence farming and fishing. At the same time, many of the people are cowed so that Gatou himself receives most of the profits from these improvements, while their lives are now marked by fear, and he does exploit them to profit.

Political and financial interests with ties to merchants from the Fire Nation have recently begun to oppose Gatou more actively, although they are attempting to remain clandestine due to uncertainty about the extent of his reach. Some have funded the construction of a bridge which would bypass Gatou's control of the primarily water-based transportation and shipping that has allowed the expansion of trade activity across the Wave Country's borders. The completion of this bridge would likely have indirect benefits for the Fire Nation and Leaf Village as a result, specifically through increased trade. Additionally, our assistance could strengthen the informal political ties currently enjoyed, likely leading to the Leaf enjoying preference when Wave Country interests consider hiring in the future. Historically, a larger percentage of their contracts have gone to the Mist Village, making this a significant opportunity.

Recommend immediate acceptance of contract.

Expected opposition is composed of mercenaries untrained in chakra use; designated probable C-rank.

Recommend politically astute squad leader be assigned in case events shift and more than simple guard duty is required.

* * *

Author's Note:

To anyone who is still reading, I take it you've found this story at least a bit entertaining; I hope you continue to find it interesting. Since you've now seen enough to start getting an idea of how good my writing is (or isn't), I'd appreciate it if you would review the story. I'm trying to get better, and constructive criticism would be helpful. Other than that, I'd just like to say that I'll try to keep things fun (for the readers, anyway. The characters are another matter).

Also, I apologize for the cliffhanger; the next chapter should be posted in a week.


	6. Assassins and Guardians

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

All four spectators had been watching in amazement as the fight took place, but now their feelings turned to horror.

"It looked like he got a breath," Sakura said. "I'm guessing he has one or two minutes, tops, before he starts to suffocate. We need to get him out of there."

"Zabuza has to stay in that spot to hold him in the prison, and I doubt he can use many techniques that way," Sasuke commented. "We can do this."

Just then, Zabuza formed a new water clone. "I think I'll take care of the others first, Kakashi," the assassin told his prisoner. "I may be a professional, but fighting you has been fun."

Kakashi's face might have tightened a bit, but he simply continued holding his breath.

"Oh, these kids," Zabuza mused as his clone turned toward the genin. "I can tell just by looking that none of them has ever killed. How can they call themselves ninja?" He shook his head. "Oh, well. Time to deal with this." He moved forward in a blur. Naruto was standing closest, and the sword took him in the stomach. The horror the others felt was replaced by relief when they noticed the telltale sound and sight of a shadow clone disappearing, however, and Zabuza – or at least, his clone – was clearly surprised.

"I'm going to be Hokage one day, you freak! You won't take me down that easily!" Naruto said, stepping out from behind the group. "Sasuke, I'm going to distract him. I've got a plan, be ready."

Sasuke nodded and faced the enemy, putting aside his surprise. Sakura was relieved to see her teammate unharmed, and tried to focus. Tazuna, in the meantime, was watching in awe. He understood now that what he had seen before today was barely a glimpse of ninjas fighting.

"Shadow clone technique," Naruto said with a smile. A small army of clones appeared around him and charged Zabuza's doppelganger, many drawing kunai or shuriken.

"There's no difference between wiping out one brat or ten," Zabuza said. The clone readied its sword and began slicing through its opponents and kicking them away. One by one, clones dispersed.

"Sasuke, here!" one of Naruto's copies yelled, throwing something to his teammate. In the meantime, more copies joined the fray against Zabuza's doppelganger.

Sasuke smiled as he caught the object and understood the plan, and he prepared himself.

"Shadow shuriken!" he yelled, throwing the large weapon. The whirling blades went straight for the real Zabuza, whose eyes widened slightly.

"Ah, so they attack the original? But it's hardly enough to hurt me," he said disdainfully. A moment later, he caught the weapon. "What a waste. For a moment I thought killing them wou-" He stopped talking as he was forced to jump to avoid the second weapon which had gone unseen, hiding behind the first.

Sakura's heart plummeted as the weapon missed, while Zabuza's clone smugly said, "still not enough, brats."

Sasuke, however, smirked knowingly just before the second weapon reverted to its true form – that of Uzumaki Naruto. The yellow-haired boy began throwing his kunai at Zabuza's back, and the enemy barely noticed in time to avoid taking any serious damage. In the process of dodging, he made a mistake. He took his hand off the water prison.

"Damn kid!" he raged, turning to kill the boy, but Kakashi was already recovering and attacked at once. He punched Zabuza in the gut with one hand and grabbed his wrist in the other, twisting to get it behind the enemy's back. The assassin's hand went straight for Kakashi's throat, and for a few seconds they struggled for leverage. In that time, Naruto sent new shadow clones at Zabuza's water clone. They struggled to get close, until finally one reached grappling range and set off the explosive note attached to its own back.

The full force of the blast didn't hit directly, but it was enough to put the enemy off-balance, and soon it was reeling. Sasuke used the opening to finish it with a fast combination of strikes from behind. Once that was done the genin backed off again, hoping that Kakashi-sensei could win the second round of his fight and wishing that they could do more than wait.

Zabuza and Kakashi broke apart and each retreated a few steps. Kakashi was dripping wet and breathing hard from the water prison, but knew Zabuza had probably used a larger percentage of his chakra at this point, between the water prison, the hidden mist, and the various other techniques he had employed. At the same time, he had been making significant use of his Sharingan and could feel fatigue setting in.

"I don't fall for the same trick twice, Zabuza," he told the missing-nin. "What will you do now?"

"I think I'll test your words," Zabuza replied. He tried to gain more distance and began his hidden mist technique once again, only to see Kakashi copying his movements once more. "You'll just die faster that way," the assassin said before disappearing into the mist.

"We'll see," Kakashi answered as he vanished.

…

For those watching the fight, there was little to do, now. They couldn't see or hear anything significant for several minutes. More than once they thought they heard the clash of blades or the sound of a punch or kick connecting.

Finally, they heard a cry and the mist dissipated once more. When it cleared, they saw Zabuza being held in place by a small group of dogs, and Kakashi finishing off a water clone. As it fell to the ground, he turned to his true opponent.

"How did they find me?" Zabuza asked intently. "I have to know."

Kakashi gestured briefly at the cut on his arm and the blood he had lost. "I didn't plan it out, but opportunities do crop up on their own. Now, it really is over."

Before he could move to finish his opponent, however, a pair of needles came seemingly from nowhere and struck Zabuza in the neck. He gurgled in shock and pain, then collapsed.

All eyes traced the needles' path backwards. There, on the edge of the bridge, they saw a small figure wearing a painted mask.

"You have my thanks, Leaf ninja," the figure spoke. "I was waiting for the rest of my team to dispose of this one, but I could not let such a fortuitous opportunity pass by."

Kakashi watched the figure cautiously as he strode over to Zabuza's body and checked for a pulse. He carefully avoided touching the needles, which appeared to be poisoned.

"He's dead," he pronounced. "So…I suppose you would be a hunter-nin from the Village Hidden in the Mist, correct?"

"Precisely so," the figure responded. The clothes and mannerisms were vague, masking many common tells. Kakashi wasn't even certain if the figure was male or female. The accuracy of the needle strikes spoke loudly, however, as did the fact that the individual's presence had gone unnoticed by himself, his team, and apparently Zabuza as well. "And I'm afraid I will have to insist on taking custody of the body. You may photograph it as proof of his death, however, if you wish."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Kakashi replied. The Leaf and Mist Villages did not have the best relations, so there was some tension involved in this meeting. At the same time, no ninja out on a mission would start a conflict with someone from another village unless they were insane or had a very good reason, so the chance of further violence was actually quite low. While Kakashi would prefer to search Zabuza's corpse himself, it was an unwritten rule that hunters from a missing-nin's home village had priority when two parties could both claim custody of the body, and the Hokage would not thank him for antagonizing the other village, especially with possible trouble brewing in the Wind Country to the west. The fact that his team included Naruto and Sasuke reinforced his decision.

"Then I will be going. Farewell, Leaf ninja, and thank you for your aid."

The figure leapt over to Zabuza's body, shouldered it and disappeared with a small puff of smoke, taking the assassin's massive sword at the same time.

…

Kakashi had virtually collapsed soon after the departure of their unexpected company, explaining that his use of the Sharingan was taking a toll on his body.

"While the eye confers many advantages, the fact that I am not an Uchiha prevents me from using it to its full potential," he said. "There is greater strain on my body, and it can consume more chakra than it would for its original user. I should be back to my full capability within a few days."

He ordered his students to maintain watch and set a few traps around their camp. Tazuna sent word to the construction crew that the ninja had defeated the enemy, and they could return to work tomorrow morning, early. By now, the light was poor enough it made little sense to resume work today.

"Zabuza was an extremely dangerous killer," Kakashi said. "Most missing-nin will think twice before accepting a contract he failed to complete, and there may not even be any in this area who are willing to work with Gatou right now anyway. Still, we can't assume that. In a worst case scenario, Gatou could have another ninja of similar skill here within a week."

"Wouldn't he want to hire more than one," Sasuke asked, "since you beat his first assassin?"

"Maybe, but most missing-nin at Zabuza's level don't work with partners," Kakashi answered. "There are exceptions, but they're pretty rare, largely due to trust issues. In the long-term, however, Gatou can obviously always hire someone else to threaten Tazuna-san or the project."

The conversation drew to a close soon after so Kakashi could rest, but he found himself thinking for some time. His mind still worked fine even if physical exertion wasn't possible.

…

After gaining sufficient distance and privacy, the figure wearing the hunter-nin mask put down his burden, laid his mask aside, and began performing a complex task. Needles were used to strike several specific spots on the body and blood was drained from one area. After bandages and clotting agents were applied to the wounds, he injected a compound into a vein and waited.

It took five minutes for the effects to wear off entirely and Zabuza to regain his ability to move. Given that he should have been a corpse, he considered himself lucky to experience the excruciating pain that resulted from Haku's extremely accurate simulation of death.

"Are you well, Zabuza-san?" the boy inquired. "Your speech should be returning to normal at this point."

"I can talk, Haku," he answered. "How long until I'm back to normal?"

"Between your injuries and the technique I was forced to employ to preserve your life, I estimate it will take a week and a half for you to reach your full power once more," the boy told him. "I could likely accelerate this with access to medical facilities, but that would draw attention unless Gatou helped us, which I doubt he would do at this point."

"No, he would probably try to kill us, or turn us in to the hunters," Zabuza agreed. "The man is not patient. I'll have to weigh the possibilities before I decide whether to just leave the country or not. I could kill Kakashi in a rematch and try to regain his favor, or just kill Gatou and cut a deal with whoever replaces him. We'll see."

"If there are no other immediate concerns, I will return you to our safehouse now for treatment," Haku stated.

"Go ahead," the assassin replied.

…

Gatou was livid. He thought he'd broken this town along with a number of others, particularly after arranging that public "accident" for Tazuna's son-in-law. Ever since then, however, the old man had grown a spine and started pushing this damn bridge through. He didn't cave to threats, or even when his house was burned down, and now he'd brought in expert protectors and they were getting their job done. He somehow convinced the other villagers to follow him instead of giving up like they should have, and now Gatou was hearing whispers in nearby villages that he was not unbeatable.

This was completely unacceptable. Gatou, an egotistical man, recognized that his reputation had concrete value. His public face as a savvy man of business who dealt with many of the most influential people in and near the Wave Country and his whispered, unsavory reputation in the towns that he dominated each served his ends. It didn't occur to him that his fearmongering methods might be responsible for causing Tazuna to stand up to him. Once Inari's father died, the man had looked at his grandson and realized that he would grow up in fear of the world and decided to do something about it. The bridge-builder didn't want to see nothing but bitterness in one so young and dear to him, or to watch the effects on his daughter.

So, he turned to his specialty: building things. He talked discretely with a few friends, settled on a plan, and then started gathering funding and support. The bridge would only benefit Wave Country as a whole, so there was nothing Gatou could do to oppose it officially despite the fact that it directly threatened the shipping and transportation business which was his main legitimate business and source of money. Just by being open and aboveboard, Tazuna had limited the man's methods; he couldn't use legal means to sink the bridge project, and so he was forced to turn to illegal ones.

The bridge was largely funded by "private donations from business interests concerned with the public welfare," officially. They hid their identities by claiming the funds were for a charitable purpose that would benefit the whole nation, thus suffusing the project in an air of humility and making it harder for Gatou to identify those backing Tazuna financially. The businessman suspected that those same "charitable interests" were responsible for the money Tazuna had used to purchase the services of four ninjas. He also suspected that at least one of them was a government official he bribed regularly to look the other way, but couldn't afford to eliminate the man without being certain.

Now, his problem had grown worse. The fights risked attracting attention to the town where the bridge was being built, which could expose the increasingly heavy-handed tactics he had turned to in order to stop the project. His position in the Wave Country had improved significantly since he started using Zabuza's services, but those who rise quickly tend to attract attention and it was only now occurring to the businessman that he had inadvertently made his own position more precarious through the blatant strategies of the past few months. He had lashed out in pride, and the result was that more and more of the fear he depended on was riding on the confrontation with Tazuna.

As a result, he was relieved when Haku brought word that Zabuza had survived the battle and would be ready for a rematch in a matter of days. He was a bit more polite than usual, and restrained his displeasure at the assassin's defeat.

When Haku returned to Zabuza and reported that their employer seemed a bit worried but was trying not to show it, the killer eyed his big sword thoughtfully and gave further consideration to the idea of simply leaving for a new country. Concerned people were sometimes treacherous, and often made mistakes. Gatou's star had risen rapidly, but Zabuza knew better than most that when an illegal enterprise went poorly, only those who ran soon enough would survive. Seeking a new employer was sounding like an increasingly attractive option.

…

The next day Sasuke noticed Kakashi looking thoughtful.

"Is something wrong, sensei?" he asked.

Kakashi was silent for a moment. "Something about the end of the fight yesterday is bothering me," he said at last. "I can't quite put my finger on it, though. That hunter-nin…seemed a bit off."

"Age, perhaps," Sasuke suggested.

"No. Hunter-nin that young are rare, but it's far from impossible, particularly from the Mist Village," Kakashi answered. "They tend to blood their fighters younger than we do." He continued as if thinking aloud. "The use of needles is unusual as well, but not necessarily conclusive. Some people develop a taste for odd weapons, no matter how impractical they may seem, and they were…ahh, that's it."

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"A clever deception, but I failed to catch it at the time. Consider this: We saw Zabuza struck with the needles and he stopped moving. I checked and found no pulse, then saw the needles were coated in something and assumed it was poison." He paused a moment for his students to think. "The needles were the apparent cause of death, but it was the appearance of death that led me to assume they were poisoned. But needles are still a strange weapon, despite their precision. They cause very little damage. That might make sense if Zabuza was wanted intact, but he is a missing-nin. The Mist Village's hunter-nin are experts in destroying their targets, leaving no evidence behind."

"So you're saying he should have destroyed the body right there?" Sasuke asked.

"No," Kakashi answered, "they would want to search it thoroughly, and not in front of outsiders. That part makes sense."

He marshaled his thoughts before continuing. "It is unsurprising that he wanted to take the sword back, since it is an heirloom of their village, but carrying both the sword and body at once would be difficult. Why did he not wait for the rest of his squad? He said he was expecting them soon. Mist hunter-nin usually move in groups, but we saw no one else, and the mask alone is hardly proof of the individual's identity."

"You're saying that he wasn't who he said," Sakura concluded. "In which case…he probably worked with Zabuza. That would mean the needles were supposed to induce an apparent death. If they were covered with a medical agent instead of poison, that might be possible, but it would be really difficult."

"The needles hit with expert precision, and at a moment when Kakashi was about to kill Zabuza," Sasuke added. "If the person was a true hunter-nin, they could simply have waited until Kakashi-sensei dealt the finishing blow."

"Exactly," the jounin said, "now you're seeing it. While they make sense on the surface, the alleged hunter-nin's actions aren't quite consistent, and there are a few too many gaps in the story. We should assume that Zabuza is alive and likely to return soon unless someone gives him a reason not to."

"But it will take time for him to recover," Sakura said, staring into the distance. "I mean, you genuinely injured him, and faking death that thoroughly…I'm no expert but I've read a bit, and there's a price for that sort of thing. Trying to move too soon can damage the nervous system permanently, so he'll have to take it slow. He probably won't be able to get out of bed for days."

"I'd estimate about six to ten days," Kakashi told her. "Call Naruto and Tazuna over, I need to explain things to them and then plan our next move."

…

"Is this what you were looking for?" Naruto asked. He had been patrolling near the bridge as ordered when he came across a boy picking herbs and flowers nearby, and chose to help out of curiosity. His clones were still maintaining the perimeter and he had not gone far, so he hadn't abandoned his post, as he saw it.

"Yes, that's the one," he replied. "Thank you. With your help, I'll be done much sooner. May I ask what you were doing out here?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment. "Training," he said enthusiastically. "I'm a ninja!"

"Oh yes, I see you're wearing a forehead protector. That symbol means you're a Leaf ninja, doesn't it?"

"Yup, that's right," Naruto confirmed.

"Why are you training?" the boy asked.

"Well, it's the only way to get stronger," Naruto answered, slightly confused by the question. "I want to be Hokage one day, you know, so I can't slack off," he continued proudly. "And it will help me protect my friends!"

"So you train for others, not only yourself?" the boy asked. After a moment, he nodded. "When we try to help those important to us, we are able to find great strength and achieve difficult goals. Perhaps you will become Hokage one day."

"Exactly!" Naruto answered. "Ninjas become strong so we can defend what matters. And the Hokage's job is to protect the whole village, so he has to be the strongest."

The boy smiled, but said nothing else as he gathered a few more leaves. Soon, he turned to go, but stopped to look at Naruto first.

"You're an interesting person, Leaf ninja. Perhaps we will meet again one day. I wish you luck in your effort to become stronger."

…

Kakashi talked to Tazuna and Naruto while the other two genin patrolled the area around the bridge, bringing them up to speed on what he knew, and what he guessed. Then he had Naruto send out a handful of clones to relieve Sakura and Sasuke.

"At this point, we're going to have to change tactics a bit," Kakashi said. "Staying on the defensive is risky. At the same time, Zabuza should be out of action for days, and his accomplice will probably be tied down tending to his needs, which gives us an opportunity to seize the initiative."

He turned to Tazuna. "Tazuna-san, as long as we defend the bridge, Gatou can keep hiring and sending more people after us. At this point, the only solution I can see is for us to deal with Gatou permanently. That means either scaring him off, or killing him."

Kakashi turned to his team. "This isn't the kind of thing genin generally get involved in at your age and level of experience, but ninjas have to adapt to the circumstances. I'm going to summon several dogs; they're excellent trackers. I can't move around much, but this won't consume much chakra or set back my recovery significantly. The dogs will search this area for signs of Zabuza and his partner or Gatou, then report back. If possible, we will then execute a preemptive strike to take Gatou out of the picture before he has time to make his next move. If they find overwhelming enemy forces, we may have to retreat. If they find nothing, I'll reassess our options. For now, I'll want Sakura and Sasuke to maintain the patrol around the bridge."

Kakashi also sent Naruto to drop another note off in town, this time placing it in a potted plant behind a house.

…

Kakashi's dogs were a strange sight, even to his students. Two of them were actually wearing sunglasses when they appeared, which Tazuna found utterly baffling. It just raised too many questions to ask, however, so he just chalked it up to "ninja weirdness" and let it go. Of the four ninjas he had brought back, only the girl seemed remotely normal, and even that didn't apply when seeing her fight.

The jounin sent them out immediately and they began to report back in over the next few hours, trickling into camp one at a time, until finally the last returned during the mid-watch that night. With Kakashi resting, the last few lay down near him and slept, presumably intending to make their reports in the morning.

Other than the return of the last few dogs, the night passed uneventfully. Kakashi spent most of the next day talking to his dogs (which surprised Tazuna and caused the bridge workers to avoid the tent as if it were plague-ridden). He grilled the animals for every detail of what they had found, and eventually briefed his students once again.

It seemed Gatou was holed up surprisingly close by in a large house outside of town, with a crew of mercenary "guards". In a different direction, one of the dogs reported a probable location for two ninjas. While the animal had only seen one, that individual roughly matched the description Kakashi had given of Zabuza's comrade, and it had appeared that he was cooking food for two people.

Over the next few days, Kakashi recovered and laid his plans. In addition to patrolling the bridge site, the genin took shifts observing Gatou and his men, both to keep tabs on them and to familiarize themselves with the area.

Kakashi himself refrained from using any further chakra in an effort to speed his recovery time. They left Zabuza and his ally alone. The ally was an unknown quantity, but had chosen to extract Zabuza rather than fight, and now was clearly caring for him instead of attacking while Kakashi was at less than his peak capacity. The jounin told his students that he wanted to avoid forcing a confrontation.

In three more days, Kakashi was almost ready. On the fourth it rained, and they made their move.

…

The workers were away from the bridge site today since the rain meant it would be difficult for them to accomplish anything. The timing simplified Kakashi's planning, since it meant none of the ninjas had to be there to guard them. Kakashi was fairly certain there would be no trouble at the bridge, but couldn't guarantee it.

Tazuna was hiding in a nearby spot located by Kakashi's dogs, with two of the animals for company. Their instructions were to lead him away if anyone hostile approached, or decoy them while Tazuna stayed safe. If necessary, they could bring word to Kakashi. He had sent another animal to stay downwind of the cottage where they suspected Zabuza was recovering. That animal, similarly, would warn him if the enemy ninjas began to move.

These precautions seemed extreme (and odd) to Tazuna, but Kakashi made it clear to his students that he regarded them as imperfect; the best possible in the situation, but not ideal.

The squad, meanwhile, was sitting in the trees just beyond Gatou's position as night fell. They waited until most of the mercenaries were asleep, and were just about to move when someone approached from the direction of Tazuna's hometown.

"I've seen that man begging a few times," Sakura said quietly. "I can't think of any reason for him to be here."

"Wait here," Kakashi ordered. "I'm going to take a closer look."

The jounin disappeared silently into the night while the beggar was accosted by two of Gatou's men. After a brief conversation they took the man inside. A few minutes later, Kakashi returned.

"Well, we have an additional complication," he told the three genin. "That man apparently caught a glimpse of Tazuna's family and decided to rat them out for money. It looks like Gatou is sending a few men to bring them in alive, then he'll use them as leverage tomorrow to force Tazuna to come into the open, where he'll kill him. Naruto," Kakashi turned to his yellow-haired student, "I want you to follow that squad and take them down. Wait until you're closer to town to make sure no one here notices. Gatou's holding on to the beggar until he's checked out the information, so he shouldn't interfere. Relocate Tazuna's family to his hiding spot, then come back here to meet us. Understood?"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," he answered.

"Then go."

Once Naruto and the squad he was pursuing were out of sight, Kakashi turned back to his other two students. "The rest of the plan remains the same. You two will slip into the barracks area and start making sure of the men who are asleep, while I go straight for Gatou. Then we'll work our way outwards, neutralizing the guards who are awake last. Ready?"

Sakura nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was extremely nervous. Sasuke was better controlled but still felt some anxiety as well. As weak as Gatou's thugs were, they remained a potentially lethal threat if any of the ninjas made a mistake or was caught by surprise.

The very beginning of the strike went well; all three ninjas passed the perimeter undetected by Gatou's sentries. From there they split up. Kakashi worked patiently to slip past the guards one or two at a time without alerting them to his presence, until finally he was right outside the door to Gatou's room, which was guarded by two somewhat tougher-looking men.

Sakura and Sasuke had found the two large rooms which were serving as barracks for the mercenaries, and carefully began to drug them. Sakura was taking care of that part, as she had a better understanding of the dosages required, while Sasuke watched for movement. There were about ten men sleeping in the first room, all of whom they drugged without a hitch. They then proceeded carefully into the second large room. Closer to fifteen men were sleeping there. That left Gatou's two personal guards and four who were on watch outside, with another five gone to retrieve Tazuna's family.

Based on their prior observations, that left three guards unaccounted for, but Sasuke was fairly certain those men were in the kitchen and living area. When Sakura had five men left to go in the room, one of them rolled over in his sleep. The two genin froze for a moment, then continued once it became apparent the man was still snoring.

Unfortunately, it was only a moment later that the door opened. One guard stumbled in from the kitchen area, clearly drunk. The man was staggering forward, but stopped to look around, confused. He apparently wasn't sure where his bed was, but it was ill luck that caused him to look directly at Sakura.

She was trying to remain unnoticed, and had been forced to awkwardly hold the implements being used to drug the other men, thus occupying her hands. When the man saw her, he blinked groggily at first, and then reached for his sword, mouth beginning to open.

Sasuke's kunai plunged into the thug's eye and the brain beyond, killing him almost the instant he saw Sakura. The boy leapt forward, landing lightly on his feet, and tried to catch the body before it fell to prevent it from making noise.

He succeeded, but the man had drawn his weapon and the blade fell from his lifeless fingers, tapping on the wooden floor. The two ninjas stood still for a moment, straining to listen for any sign that they had alerted the other guards.

"Ha, I knew that fresh-meat couldn't hold his liquor!" they heard a voice say from the direction of the kitchen. "Stupid bastard should be more careful."

"He's too stupid to be careful," a second, rougher voice replied. "And I'm too bored, so pass me that damn bottle."

"Yeah, fine, just let me pour some," the first voice responded. After that, there were only the sounds of drinking.

Sasuke carefully lowered the corpse to the ground, while Sakura began to return to her task. Her hands trembled for a moment, until she took a deep breath to focus on the matter at hand. In the meantime, Sasuke watched the still-open door. Neither of the men they heard drinking was visible, but the two were even more tense now that they had barely averted discovery.

Once Sakura finished, the two genin waited for a few minutes to ensure the substance she had applied would keep the majority of the thugs under, and then prepared to take care of the two in the kitchen.

When they began to creep into the room, however, they suddenly heard the front door open as two of the sentries from outside walked in. Sasuke crouched behind a few boxes and bags which contained provisions and other miscellaneous items. The haphazard pile provided some concealment, but he knew if anyone entered the barracks rooms he might be spotted. At this point, that wasn't a huge problem; the boy was fairly certain he could handle all of the remaining guards by himself, if he needed to, with ease. On the other hand, Kakashi had indicated a preference for quiet and taking the enemies alive. If they were forewarned and fighting back, Sasuke doubted he could knock all of the guards unconscious. They might be far less trained, but they were more experienced. In addition, fighting at close quarters would negate several of his abilities; he certainly couldn't use his fire techniques inside the building without destroying it.

Sakura was more worried. She had retreated through the doorway, and was now trying to ensure she knew how many guards were in the room. It sounded like two new men entered, bringing the total to four. After a moment she heard the front door closing.

The two newcomers complained that their relief had not come to guard duty. The pair of heavy drinkers seemed quite unconcerned, saying that the men should go find their replacements and just kick them until they woke up and got to work.

The perimeter guards began to walk toward the barracks room, and Sasuke tried to stick out as little as possible. If the men walked straight to the barracks they might pass within a few feet and fail to notice him, especially if they were tired. He used hand signals to tell Sakura to take the two from the perimeter, and indicate that he would deal with the drunks. She nodded her acknowledgment.

A moment later Sasuke got his first close look at the two men as they passed right by him, unaware of his presence. One was average-sized but carrying at least eight knives that the boy could see, in addition to a sword. The other was a large man, armed only with a similarly large club that nearly dragged the ground behind him despite his height. Despite some misgivings, Sasuke waited for Sakura to make her move, palming a kunai with either hand.

The two men walked into the room, beginning to look around, when Sakura struck. She hit the first one in the temple, sending him crashing to the floor, and Sasuke was moving immediately.

He vaulted the boxes he had been hiding behind and sprang toward the two thugs at the table as soon as he got a good look at them. One was raising a drink to his mouth, eyes closed as he savored the taste. The second looked up at the noise, and his eyes were alert. The man kicked a chair toward the Uchiha boy and drew his blade, yelling, while Sasuke threw his own weapons. The first missed as the more alert guard stepped to one side, but the second found its mark. The drunken thug was beginning to stand, but only caused the kunai to hit his throat instead of his head. He clutched at the wound but couldn't slow the blood loss, let alone stop it.

The remaining enemy was a brown-haired, tattooed man. He moved with speed and was obviously swinging his sword hard as he cut a chair in two, but was lacking when it came to technique. Sasuke managed to find an opening and cut his shoulder. As the man flinched, the young ninja slashed at his face, then left a blade in his stomach when he was too slow to respond.

He returned to find Sakura looking at her own handiwork, with two unconscious enemies on the floor. The second, like the first, had been knocked out with no real chance to resist or respond.

Soon the remaining guards on perimeter duty returned to the building, having heard a yell and the faint noises of Sasuke's battle. As they approached the entrance, however, the two genin saw Kakashi appear behind them and quickly knock them out.

"Report," he ordered a moment later.

"Three enemies dead, the rest out cold," Sasuke reported. "We're not injured."

"Good," Kakashi said, "you've done well. Now, we need to finish securing these men for transport. With Gatou dead, I expect the authorities will be a bit more interested in dealing with criminals. I want you to start preparing them while I check to make sure we've gotten everybody. Make certain they're all thoroughly disarmed."

…

Uzumaki Naruto was thrilled to be entrusted with a solo assignment, even if it was a relatively simple one. Wanting to impress Kakashi-sensei, he followed the five mercenaries Gatou had sent carefully and quietly. They were not loud, since they intended to take their target by surprise, but they were easy for any competent ninja to follow.

They didn't take too long to reach their destination; a small house on the outskirts of town. The place looked slightly run-down, as if its current inhabitants weren't quite willing to do the work needed to keep the building in good shape.

The men spread out to encircle the house, approaching the front and back doors simultaneously, and Naruto saw his chance. He sent three clones at the larger group and took two with him to take out the smaller one.

The men were dealt with in his typical style, which was loud, direct, and effective. Naruto was just making certain they were all down when a man came out of the house.

"What's going on out here? Who are you?" The man looked tired, but sounded alert.

Suddenly, Naruto was struck by the realization that he hadn't really thought about what to do _after_ beating up the bad guys.

"Ah…I'm a Leaf ninja…," he began hesitantly.

"What do you want?" the man asked, his eyes narrowing. "Why are -" he stopped as he noticed the pile of thugs on the ground. He seemed a bit lost for words.

"Tazuna hired me – my squad, I mean," Naruto said. "You're a relative of Daichi, right? I'm supposed to get you and your guests away from here," the yellow-haired boy told him.

"Oh," the man replied. His eyes looked a bit wild as he surveyed the scene, although his voice was detached. He looked like he would probably panic as soon as he finished waking up. "I guess they found out, then. Where are we going?"

"Someplace safe," Naruto replied. "We should hurry. I'm not expecting more, but that's no guarantee."

…

The rest of the night and the next day went smoothly. Tazuna was happy to be reunited with his daughter and grandson at last. With his help, it was easy to arrange for Gatou's men to be imprisoned and dealt with by the Wave Country's government. Kakashi disappeared briefly "to run an errand" without offering any explanation, but after that the squad returned to the bridge, where Tazuna seemed much more relaxed. As the news of Gatou's death spread over the next few days, the ninjas noticed that the town seemed to undergo a change. The townsfolk, who had looked beaten and wary, seemed to become different people overnight. Beyond that, several of them thanked the ninjas once they had a better understanding of what had happened; in the past, they had all steered clear of the outsiders.

The protection contract was supposed to last until the bridge was completed, so Team 7 remained. With Gatou's death, however, they found there was much less for them to do. Patrols were uneventful, and with Kakashi back to his full capability they were all much less concerned. The jounin said that Zabuza should not be a problem; the man was a hired killer, and wouldn't enter a life-threatening fight for free. If anything, he would likely be leaving the country as soon as possible, to ensure that real hunter-nin didn't catch up to him. He would likely assume that the Leaf would pass word to his home village, perhaps as a bargaining chip or show of good faith in some negotiation.

The only damper on the generally good mood was Sasuke. At first, Naruto didn't see anything different, until he realized that Sakura seemed to be looking at him differently at times. He couldn't figure out why, though. His teammate was quiet, but that was normal.

It was two days after the night raid that Sakura finally found both the courage and a chance to talk to Sasuke in private.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"What is it, Sakura?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for covering me," she said. She stood there awkwardly for a moment, trying to figure out how to continue. "I'm sorry," she said at last.

"For what?" he asked, looking up at her.

"That you had to kill that man to protect me. I…I don't know if it's bothering you or anything, but I just wanted to say that I'm glad you were there," she spoke in a rush, as if afraid the words would desert her. "I'm sorry I don't know what to say, this isn't coming out right. Just…I hope it won't bother you."

"It's fine," he said tonelessly. "Ninjas must kill in the course of our duties."

"I…I know that," she answered. "But it's supposed to be hard, and I can't tell if you're okay. I guess I want to say," she took a deep breath, "that I'm here to help if I can. As your teammate."

Sasuke looked at her in silence for a moment. "You can't."

She waited for a moment before turning to walk away.

"Sakura – thank you."

She looked back and smiled briefly, nodding at the boy, before she left.

…

That night, Sasuke approached Kakashi to talk.

"You said I should come to you when I was ready," the boy said.

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "Do you want to tell me about it? Or maybe ask a few questions?"

Sasuke was silent for a long moment, looking past his teacher at the campfire. "I've known for years that I would have to kill. I didn't know what to expect. I've seen death, but I was warned that causing it would be different."

Kakashi only nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"The first one…it was mostly instinct," Sasuke told him. "He was there, Sakura's hands were busy, and we needed him quiet. It was straightforward. With the other two it was different," he paused again. "I was planning to kill them from the start, and I don't know if I needed to. I think it was easier, or more efficient, but I didn't really think."

Kakashi gave him a moment to see if he had more to say before responding. "A lot of ninjas make their first kill the way you did. Even with all our training, it's hard to do it the first time. When a teammate is in danger, or your own life is in danger, training and instinct tend to take over. It will get easier to deal with in time. I know you've heard that before, but it's still true."

"What was your first like?" Sasuke asked.

"Very similar," Kakashi told him. "One of my teammates was about to get hit from behind. I didn't have time to think, so I just moved – killed him with one strike."

"Part of me is relieved," Sasuke said. He wasn't accustomed to talking like this with anyone, and all of a sudden he found himself going on at greater length than he intended. "I have to be able to kill, or else all this, all these years of training are for nothing. I felt…relieved. To know that I can do it and keep going. To know that when the time comes I'll be ready for that part. And part of me wondered what it means for me to feel that. If I should be doing this. " He closed his eyes. "I have to be a ninja, but I can't be a butcher."

"People react differently to killing," Kakashi told his student. "Most veteran ninjas hit a point where they're able to do it and forget, except in cases where there is some other element or circumstance that makes it personal. A few start to like it. Men like Zabuza. The bloodthirsty types often have other psychological problems, and a lot of them end up as missing-nin eventually, or get killed in a fight they should have walked away from. A lot of the purpose of the academy is to try to help people like you, Naruto and Sakura learn to be able to kill without losing yourselves. I don't think you're bloodthirsty, Sasuke. You didn't enjoy the killing. I know why you feel the need to have that ability, and I won't tell you you're wrong to be relieved. You were waiting to know something, and the wait finally ended. Relief is a natural result of that."

He looked Sasuke in the eye as he spoke, and the young man returned his gaze levelly.

"What about the other two?" Sasuke asked. "I'm sure I could have knocked them out. It just didn't occur to me to try."

"If you acted like that for weeks, or months, or years, then I would say it was a psychological problem," Kakashi acknowledged. "But you were in one of the first few real combat situations of your life. Every time we go into battle, the "fight or flight" reflex kicks in, and that instinct tends to encourage us to go for the quickest, surest victory. The more you train and fight, the more you'll develop new instincts and habits. You'll learn how to avoid killing, and how to tell when you should. As for those two men in particular," Kakashi went on, "I'm fairly certain they'd be dying soon anyway. Most of Gatou's thugs have committed a number of crimes over the years. He covered them up, convinced officials to look the other way, or just helped them escape to someplace they wouldn't be recognized. But they've done everything: mostly murder, theft, extortion, and just beating people who were too weak to fight back. You know the world is a better place without some men. Those two won't be missed."

…

The squad soon confirmed that the nearby cottage had been vacated. With things improving and more than a week left before the bridge would be complete, Naruto eventually pestered Kakashi into training the team more.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! You know all kinds of techniques, teach us a cool one," he implored.

"Hmm…I think not, Naruto," Kakashi replied.

The boy had been frustrated at first, but now he just looked disappointed.

"No, I think there's something else you three need to work on," the jounin continued, as if oblivious to his student's mood. "To use techniques properly, you must first improve your ability to mold and control chakra."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Naruto asked. "Improve it how?"

"Why, through training of course," Kakashi answered. "In fact, it just happens that this is an excellent place for this particular type of training."

"Why is that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked him.

"Because of all the water," he answered. "You all remember the tree-climbing exercise, I'm sure. Walking up a tree is challenging because it forces you to focus chakra to your feet, generally considered to be the most difficult part of the body to focus chakra to, and then release a precise amount continuously. Walking on water is very similar, but the difficulty is increased because it is a liquid. Mistakes are hard to correct, because you either start to sink or end up pushing off from the water. There's less room for error than with tree-climbing."

"It will also give us more options in terms of covering ground," Sasuke noted, "much as the tree climbing did." He frowned momentarily. "Can ninja with a water affinity use this ability to create a wave and then simply stand on it? How well can we cling?"

"It's theoretically possible to do so, although generally a bad idea," Kakashi answered. "That is something that I think most water users try at least once. Most of them don't try it more than a few times, however. Running is just easier. Now, Sakura, why don't you go first."

…

Naruto and Sasuke were chagrined to see how much more easily their teammate picked up the exercise, compared to them. She seemed able to master it in only minutes. Kakashi had his other two students attempt the exercise simultaneously, with the result that both were soon soaking wet. The jounin, Sakura and a few nearby bridge workers laughed a bit, and both young men blushed, though Sasuke hid it better under his standard glower.

Once he had seen how much work each of his students needed, Kakashi would have two patrolling the perimeter of the area while the third practiced.

"Sensei, since I've already mastered this exercise, can I practice something else?" Sakura asked when her turn came up.

"You sound like you have something specific in mind," Kakashi replied.

"Ah…well a while back, you mentioned you thought I might be able to learn genjutsu. I wondered if I could start now," she said. "I know the basic theory, but not really any techniques."

Kakashi nodded slowly, "That sounds reasonable. Keep in mind that genjutsu are very complex, however. They can have some advantages, such as the fact that they typically take up less energy than ninjutsu, but illusions are tough. Even a simple one requires great attention to detail, or a single flaw can warn your opponent that what he sees, hears or smells is not real. A perfect genjutsu may be impossible, since it would have to deceive all the senses. Most people use them only to affect sight, since we all rely on our eyes the most."

"Well if it's that bad, why did you say I might be able to learn them well?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not trying to say genjutsu are impossible, Sakura," Kakashi clarified. "I just don't want to give you unreasonable expectations. You have a good analytical mind and excellent chakra control, which are the two main prerequisites for mastering genjutsu. All I'm saying is that there are reasons most ninjas focus more on ninjutsu and taijutsu, and power has nothing to do with why. I've been told by those who know more than me that true masters of genjutsu have to have a great deal of imagination. The ability to think and adapt quickly, applying the right illusion in a second."

"I think I understand," the pink-haired girl answered after a moment. "So if I'm starting, where should I begin?"

"The first step is visualization," Kakashi told her. "You must be able to vividly picture a scene in your mind. Try looking around you, then close your eyes and remember everything about your surroundings."

He waited silently for a few moments. "It's hard, I know. When using genjutsu in or out of combat, there are a few main ways it can be used. One is to employ the illusion to hide something real. For example, if I used a genjutsu on you that prevented you from seeing me. This would not necessarily stop you from perceiving everything else around you. Another is to draw your attention, typically by showing you something that is not there. In that case, I might make it appear that reinforcements were coming over a hill in the hopes of convincing you to flee, rather than continuing to fight. Finally, there is the half-truth. This is the most difficult method, generally employed only by genjutsu experts. They can show you an image that is almost entirely true, but change important details. For example, they might make a cliff appear to be a few feet further away, thus causing you to fall to your death. That variation is called image displacement – making something appear closer, or further in a particular direction."

"I guess I hadn't realized just how many options there are," Sakura said with a frown. "It could take forever to master them all. Are there many other uses for genjutsu?"

"Obviously it can be used as a disguise for undercover missions, although that has its risks," Kakashi answered. "People who can detect chakra use would be drawn to you regardless of the face they see. Genjutsu can be employed very effectively for interrogation, especially in combination with other methods. One very subtle use is to make it appear that you or someone else is weakening. You could use an illusion to give the false impression that a weapon struck you and then project an image of blood and a wound. The problem is that most chuunin and above are capable of snapping themselves out of basic genjutsu without too much difficulty. Putting more chakra into a technique can allow you to anchor it more strongly in your opponent's chakra network, making it harder to dislodge. Similarly, more subtle techniques may be designed such that the opponent knows they are in an illusion, but still has difficulty taking appropriate action, or you can prevent them from ever realizing what has happened."

From there, they began. When Kakashi was patrolling with one of the genin, he had Sakura practice using a basic genjutsu on her teammates, while they worked on recognizing the illusion and breaking free. Sasuke seemed quite able to break free, while Naruto had more difficulty. Both were pretty good at spotting missing or aberrant details in the illusions, however.

"This is actually good training for you two as well," Kakashi told Sasuke and Naruto in preparation. "We would have needed to do this eventually to help you grasp how to resist genjutsu. And it happens to mesh well with your other training, since doing so is largely an exercise of chakra control. It can be difficult to feel at first, but when someone uses a genjutsu, they are effectively creating a construct out of chakra and anchoring it to your chakra network. That construct then overrides your senses, forcing them to accept the false data. Once you're aware of it, you have to break the genjutsu. There are a few ways to do that. One is to take your chakra and concentrate it away from the affected area, which is generally the head. Doing so removes the anchor points that the genjutsu construct is using, and it then becomes detached from you. The other main way is to expel your chakra strongly into the construct itself. While they can be powerful, genjutsu are fairly delicate, and suddenly expelling your chakra can disrupt their cohesion, breaking them."

"Are there any other methods, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Genjutsu experts have a third option," he answered. "They can execute a counter-genjutsu. To do that, they have to seize control of the enemy's chakra construct, instead of destroying it, and send it back at the original user. Doing that is extremely difficult; one mistake in terms of how much chakra you use will either shatter the construct or fail to affect it. Even small errors can alert the enemy to what you are doing, allowing them to stop you. A counter-genjutsu has to be both quick and extremely subtle, and only the best illusion experts use them in combat. Beyond those three options, there are two more. One can escape a genjutsu if released by an ally using the method I described earlier, expelling chakra. And lastly, strong sensation like pain can sometimes be used."

"But why would that work?" Sakura asked with a frown. "Genjutsu can involve pain, so it seems strange."

"There is a significant difference between sensory data that comes straight from your own body and the falsehood of a chakra construct," Kakashi continued to explain. "When a genjutsu deceives one or more of your senses, it's like building a wall between your brain and your eyes, ears, or nose. A sufficiently strong stimulus to any of those, however, can be too much to mask. If one sensation trickles past the genjutsu, the normal flow of information to your brain generally re-asserts itself, freeing you. Pain is generally the most intense physical sensation that you can create in a hurry. In theory, extreme heat or cold might also work. I know one person allegedly used smelling salts on a teammate to try to snap them out of a genjutsu, and another reportedly placed hot peppers on someone's tongue. A third tried a bright flash of light, and there are other variations. There are two problems with this method, though. The first is that all of these things, if they work, also serve as distractions to you. Some of them can even cause damage, like the flash of light or physical pain. The result is that they all carry their own risks. And of course, you're unlikely to be able to use these methods on yourself while in a genjutsu. Pain is the easiest, but quick ways of causing enough pain involve self-injury, which is not recommended for obvious reasons."

Sasuke thought that Kakashi seemed very knowledgeable for someone who wasn't a genjutsu expert. In past training sessions, he had noticed that the man seemed to get much more talkative when discussing combat tactics and ninjutsu especially, often going into far more detail than he remembered from any academy instructor.

"There is one other thing you should know," Kakashi said, looking at Sasuke now. "When the Sharingan is awakened, it gives its user the ability to perceive a chakra construct being placed on them in a way most people can't. Spotting the illusion is not a problem, with an active Sharingan, and both breaking genjutsu and using counter-genjutsu become much easier. There are a few other abilities like that one which give some people a natural advantage against genjutsu. For example, the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan. Because of that, Sakura," he said, turning back to her, "you'll have to keep in mind that there are some opponents against whom these skills may be of little use. Those people are rare, of course, and the fact that the Hyuuga belong to our village means they aren't so much a threat, but don't be shocked if you one day face someone who can deal with most illusions easily."

The genin sat there trying to take in everything he had said, until he had them get up and resume their training.

…

With the squad occupied and no further delays, the bridge was soon finished, ending their contract. The night before they left, Tazuna's friend Daichi invited the old man and his family, as well as the four ninjas, to his house for dinner.

The locals were very grateful for their assistance, and Tazuna made a point of thanking them for going beyond the limits that had technically been set by the contract. Facing enemy ninjas and dealing with Gatou had not been required by the letter of the agreement, and the old bridge-builder made certain that the Leaf ninjas knew he and the others understood that.

The company was welcoming and the food was simple but good; fried fish and vegetables with rice. Naruto complimented Daichi's wife and eldest daughter, who had prepared the meal, so effusively that they were a bit taken aback; they had expected ninjas to have a more somber attitude.

Daichi's younger daughter, who was close to the age of Team 7's genin, seemed to be spending a lot of the evening looking at Sasuke, who barely spoke. She tried to be less noticeable about it after she saw Sakura glaring at her, however, and fortunately her parents didn't really seem to pick up on it, preoccupied as they were with either adult conversation or the loud (though not actually impolite) Naruto.

When the meal was concluded, Daichi cleared his throat and stood up.

"Tazuna, I've been talking to a lot of people around town about what happens now," he began. "You personally risked a lot to build this bridge and bring these ninjas here, and many of us agreed that we couldn't ignore the risks you took. Even my cousin," he said with a small grin, "although that's probably just because the yellow-haired loudmouth over here saved his butt, so don't go thinking he likes you now. The point is, I talked to a lot of the construction crew and a few other people, and we're all going to chip in to build you, Tsunami and Inari a new house. If we'd all had the guts to follow your lead, or Kaiza's, you might not have lost it in the first place. But at least we can do this much for the three of you."

Tazuna was clearly surprised and grateful. Tsunami stood up and thanked Daichi.

"Please don't," the man answered. "This town owes you all more, but at least this is a start."

After that, the mood improved even further. Tazuna and Tsunami had been worrying about what to do with themselves now that the immediate crisis had ended, and it was a relief to know they would at least have a little help re-establishing themselves. When the meal was over, the adults sat and talked while Sakura spoke with Daichi's daughters in another room. Naruto and Inari wandered off in boredom, both feeling a need to move around. Sasuke disappeared, although his departure did not go unnoticed.

"Something wrong with him?" Tazuna asked Kakashi, gesturing to the doorway.

"He's just not much for family gatherings," Kakashi replied. "They bring up memories."

Tsunami frowned as she looked at the jounin. "Did he lose his parents on a mission or something?" she asked quietly.

Kakashi hesitated. "It's a bit more complicated than that. I'm afraid he probably wouldn't want me discussing it, so I'd appreciate if we could change the subject."

"I'd dearly love to know how you managed to eat," Daichi said in a joking tone. "I never saw you move that mask of yours."

"Ah, well, that is an ancient ninja secret," Kakashi replied dramatically, accepting the cue. "But since you've been such a gracious host, I'll tell you a part of it. You see, long ago my ancestors were not ninjas, but rather farmers. However, we forgot to pay tribute to a certain vain spirit. He cursed us to forever have ugly faces, and the Hokage decreed that all Hatake must wear a mask or else be exiled, so he would not have to look at them. The head of our family at that time was a thrifty, stubborn old man, and he said, 'there's no way I'm going to the trouble of finding a new home. Tell the Hokage he'd better pay for the masks, or else put up with it!' At that point, it became an official rule and got written down. The family became ninjas because we had the masks anyway, so it just seemed to make sense. As for why we still wear them…well, I might disobey my family traditions, and I might disobey the Hokage, but you see I'm terrified," his voice trembled, "of the accountants. So I must wear the mask always."

There was laughter at that, and the conversation was successfully moved to safer territory.

…

Sakura's conversation was mostly small talk, until finally Daichi's older daughter turned to her at one point and asked a question.

"Okay, I know Aimi here is dying to ask but won't, so I'll do it. Are you and the dark-haired boy together?"

"Ayame!" the younger girl exclaimed quietly, blushing deeply.

Sakura couldn't prevent a slight smile at how young the girl seemed. It took her a moment to realize that she thought of herself as being so different from these two; when had that happened?

A vision flashed before her eyes of Sasuke catching a corpse, a kunai embedded in the body's eye.

Her smile faltered, but she managed to save it before either girl noticed. "Ah, well, not yet," she said, answering the question. "But I've liked him for years. Now that we're on the same squad, well, we're spending more time around each other than ever before."

"What do you like about him?" Ayame asked. "I can see he's cute, but he's barely said a word."

Inner Sakura raged that someone would question the strength of her love and the coolness of her Sasuke-kun, but she suppressed that reaction. "I guess…I think he won't give his love easily," she said after a few moments of consideration. "But when he does give it, I believe he'll mean it."

Aimi's eyes grew large at that, and she seemed a bit awed. Ayame also looked a bit surprised, and almost a bit respectful. The three made small talk a bit longer, until it was time to leave.

…

Meanwhile, Sasuke was outside. He sat on the roof and his eyes were trained forward, but in his mind all he could see was the past.

Even years later, he could not understand. His brother had been the kind of person who would make time to help his little brother practice. Itachi seemed to regard him as more worthy of attention than his father had, for a time, although once he began to excel in the academy that changed. He earned more of his father's attention at that point. Meanwhile, there had been faint signs of…something growing between Uchiha Itachi and their father. The two had spent less and less time in the same room, and when they did his father spoke sternly more often. He had barely understood it at all then, and now parts of his recollection were faded with age, while others were obscured by pain.

He tried to convince himself that he didn't need to understand in order to avenge, but he still could not reconcile the two pictures of Itachi in his mind's eye. One from _that _night, of a butcher covered in blood, looking disdainfully down at him as he forced Sasuke to watch the slaughter over and over. The other of a younger-looking man, not long out of the academy, putting aside some assigned task or other to help him practice throwing shuriken and kunai.

It still made no sense at the end of the evening, when he came down and bid a polite farewell to their hosts before leaving.

…

Naruto spent the rest of his time with Inari, who kept asking about being a ninja. At first he only answered the boy enthusiastically, but the questions went on and on.

"Why do you want to know so much about it?" Naruto finally asked him.

"Because you beat Gatou," Inari said. "I didn't think anyone could beat Gatou. He just kept hurting people and no one would fight him. Even grandpa. My mom said building the bridge was fighting, but that doesn't make sense."

Naruto thought carefully for a moment. "Well, the bridge was something Gatou didn't want to happen, and it made sense for Tazuna-san, because he's an expert builder." He tried to gather his thoughts again; explaining things was hard. "When I was at the academy, Iruka-sensei always told me not to fight the way your opponent wants. If Tazuna-san had tried to just beat Gatou up, he would have lost, right?"

Inari nodded; that was obvious.

"So he had to find another way," Naruto said. "He had to find a way to win. Gatou tried to scare people away from the bridge and stuff, but he didn't want to get caught destroying it. It's like…people like Gatou are more powerful when the government isn't paying attention to them. He wants people like you afraid, but he wants other powerful people to think he's nice. That's why he didn't just come to town with a hundred men and start ordering people around, right?"

Inari nodded again, though a bit more slowly.

"So Tazuna-san, he tried to make sure Gatou would lose, by hiring us to guard him," Naruto said proudly. "To get rid of us, Gatou had to be more and more obvious. And the other thing about the bridge is this: everyone could see it. You know how the whole town was scared of Gatou. But with Tazuna-san building his bridge, they could all look over and see that someone was doing something he didn't like. It was a symbol. So everyone would realize that Gatou wasn't as strong as they thought."

Inari seemed to be having some trouble understanding all this, but the effort was plain on his face. "So…you're saying Grandpa was stronger than Gatou, but in a different way?"

"Exactly!" Naruto answered. "Like how Sasuke is a bit faster than me and Sakura knows more stuff from books, but I have more stamina. So if I had to take a test and Sakura took the test, she'd win. But if we raced each other, I would win. Your grandpa was racing instead of taking the test, see?"

Inari nodded again, smiling this time. "So Grandpa won because he was too smart for Gatou. He wouldn't let him decide what kind of fight they had."

"Yeah, that's it," Naruto confirmed, smiling. "He also won because he was smart enough to get help. Think about how that other man, Daichi's cousin – he hid you and your mom. You couldn't have hidden without help, right? But with help, you two were safe. Now you're here, and Gatou lost. See, people like Gatou don't really work together well, because they only care about themselves. But your grandpa, he cares about you, and your mom, and the whole town. And because he's a nice guy, and Daichi's a nice guy, he tried to help your family when you needed it. And because you're grandpa's a nice guy, it was easier for him to keep people working on the bridge even though they were afraid of Gatou too."

The two of them got along well for the rest of the evening. Eventually, Naruto showed the younger boy the right way to punch and stand, and a few other things, after making him promise that he would only use it to protect people. Inari's mother wasn't entirely thrilled, but the promise made her feel better.

After seeing Inari smiling at Naruto, she felt much better. When Team 7 departed, she even hugged the yellow-haired boy.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I haven't seen him smile like that since his father died. I think you're his new hero."

…

The next day, Team 7 began the journey home.

"You know," Tazuna said right before they left, "I've been thinking that you four really deserve something extra for all the work you put in. I don't have money, but I've thought of something else I can give you, if you're willing."

"What's that, Tazuna-san?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Now that it's finished, the bridge needs a name," Tazuna said with a smile. "I was thinking that calling it the Bridge of Leaves would be appropriate, since it wouldn't have been finished without the four of you."

"Awesome!" Naruto yelled. "That's great Tazuna-san! So everyone will know how amazing we are!"

The others were less enthusiastic, but remained grateful.

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Coded Report: Wave Country Liaison NAME REDACTED

In consultation with on-site mission leader, followed up on unexpected opportunities. Negotiations with Wave Country authorities to secure custody of the Demon Brothers have been successful. Details to follow in next communication. Our assistance in disposing of Gatou has changed the internal political balance a great deal, and those with ties to the Fire Nation were able to benefit particularly due to being notified of Gatou's passing promptly, in some cases several days before other parties became aware of the fact.

As a result, many of his assets are being seized by the government or returned to their rightful owners, and those who were caught associating with him in illegal enterprises are being incarcerated throughout the country now that his threats are no longer of concern. Similarly, many of his thugs have been gathered up. Estimate high probability Leaf ninjas will be hired to apprehend key individuals and break up a few remnant gangs in the near future.

On-site mission leader was able to secure much of Gatou's blackmail material; as expected, he had it with him when he travelled to ensure its security. Items designated 437 and 438 were destroyed immediately, while others are in transit for analysis.

Finally, the on-site mission leader's recommendation was pursued with regards to missing-nin Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice. They have currently been retained, in exchange for a reasonable fee and the promise that their whereabouts will not be revealed to the Mist Village, in order to investigate the contract irregularities in and around the Wind Country while maintaining the Leaf's deniability. Given their need for Leaf resources in order to remain hidden from the Mist Village, and the fact that going in that direction will take them farther from home, I am confident they will follow through. Psych profiling suggests Zabuza is still a man of his word in most respects, despite attempted treason, and his accomplice shows all the signs of dependency on him for direction. The identity of his handler seemed to surprise him, and I believe he will not cross the Hermit. The possibility that we might return the Demon Brothers also serves as additional leverage; Zabuza is not without loyalty to his subordinates, if only out of professionalism.

Given that the accomplice is not technically a missing-nin, extended offer of asylum and possible residence in Leaf Village for future. It seems unlikely the individual will accept, given apparent devotion to Zabuza, but risk is minimal and potential gain significant.

Further details to follow soon.


	7. Sakura Shines

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

It was a bit of a relief to be back home at first, but Team 7 soon found that D-rank missions were extremely boring now that they had tasted real combat in Wave Country. Over the next two months they did receive a few other C-rank missions, but none took a dramatic turn like their first. They protected some travelling merchants to the western border of the Fire Nation, where they apparently had made other arrangements for the rest of the trip. They eventually faced another gang of thugs on one of their C-rank missions, and found their victory was all but effortless.

They also went on another two-week patrol around the village. As before, Kakashi-sensei pushed their endurance, but all three were pleased to find they were better able to handle the effort now. Their training continued much as it had begun, with a mix of practices supervised by Kakashi, mock missions and other exercises. They tried the escape and evasion test again, but Kakashi only gave them a five-minute head start this time. He still caught them, but all three were performing better. The ability to run on water was particularly helpful, since it left no tracks and made scent-based tracking more difficult.

In the meantime, they were also working on other things; all three trained on nature manipulation, and how to recognize and resist genjutsu, with Sakura trying to improve her ability to create an illusion quickly without missing details. The nature manipulation training was still going slowly; Naruto could cut the leaves he was practicing on, but the cuts were ragged and uneven. Sakura was beginning to get a handle on controlling the earth, but she had noticeably less stamina than her teammates, which limited her ability to practice as much each day. She was also splitting her attention to work on genjutsu, consuming additional time. Sasuke could reliably create sparks of electricity, and Kakashi told him he was almost ready to learn his first lightning technique.

About two and a half months after they returned from the Wave Country mission, Kakashi let them go early one day, saying he had an important meeting.

…

As usual, Hatake Kakashi was the last to arrive to the meeting, preceded by the Hokage and the other jounin instructors.

"Now that we are all here, it is time to begin," Sarutobi Hiruzen told his gathered subordinates. "I'm sure you can all tell the purpose of this meeting based on who is gathered here, so let's start with the rookies. Asuma, Kakashi, Kurenai: do you wish to enter your students in the next chuunin exam? It will be held in two weeks, and we are expecting our first guests to begin arriving one week from now."

Asuma stepped forward first. "I, Sarutobi Asuma, would like to enter Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino for consideration in this test."

Kurenai and Kakashi followed suit in turn, causing some surprised mutters and raised eyebrows among the others in the room. Umino Iruka stepped forward, unable to restrain himself.

"Excuse me," he said, "but isn't it a bit early for those nine? They're young, and still relatively fresh from the academy. Are they really ready?"

Kakashi answered him. "I wouldn't nominate them if they weren't. They may be young, but they've made a great deal of progress in a short time, both psychologically and in terms of their skills. To wait would be overly cautious. They may not pass, but most people don't the first time, and that doesn't prevent them from becoming capable ninjas or chuunin."

Kurenai nodded, and Asuma agreed as well.

Iruka looked at the certainty on their faces, and decided to back down. "All right. If you're certain, I won't contest the point further."

The meeting moved forward. With the exam taking place in the village, many squad leaders put their genin forward for consideration. As the most powerful single village participating and the host, the Leaf had a fairly large number of candidates.

"It seems we have a great deal of potential this year," the Hokage said once that stage of the meeting was concluded. "Now, we will begin discussing security arrangements, so those of you who aren't involved in that aspect can depart."

…

The next day, Kakashi told his team that he had authorized them to enter the chuunin exam.

"This is voluntary, so you don't have to do it," he explained. "I have to decide whether I think you're ready, but so do you. Once you become a chuunin, you're eligible for being made a squad leader, although all three of you would probably be going on missions for a while before then just to amass some experience. It's a major step, but I believe you're prepared. You have the rest of today to make your decision. If you want to participate, fill out these forms and turn them in at the administration building by noon tomorrow."

"What exactly does this test involve?" Sasuke asked their instructor. "Will they be evaluating our intelligence, leadership ability, combat ability? All of them?"

"I can't give you specifics, obviously," Kakashi answered, "but I think you'll find it's fairly comprehensive. The examiners will be looking to see how skilled you are and whether you're ready for the responsibilities that come with the rank. You may be tested physically and mentally, yes. They might also try to determine your maturity, emotional stability and psychology. Putting an intelligent man who is a capable fighter in charge of a squad can be disastrous if he folds under the pressure of command. Expect to be pushed in a variety of ways, if you choose to move forward."

Sakura and Sasuke looked thoughtful at that, but Naruto didn't need to think about it.

"Of course I'll take the test!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm going to be Hokage one day; I'll be a great chuunin. There's no reason to put it off!"

As he spoke he envisioned various increasingly unlikely scenarios in his head, including one in which the examiners decided that it was time to make Naruto the new Hokage. "We'll I'm a bit tired and it will give me more time to smoke my pipe," the Hokage inside Naruto's head decided. "Might as well do it now. Naruto, I'm sure you'll be the best Hokage ever."

Sakura looked at him and couldn't help smiling slightly. The guy could be annoying at times, but when he was on your team that boundless confidence never failed to keep spirits up. Besides, even if Naruto was a bit crazy, Kakashi-sensei had said he thought they were ready. She wasn't sure either way, but the jounin certainly knew what he was doing.

One look at Sasuke's face told her he was definitely going for it, and that settled the choice in her mind. If he made it and she didn't, they might get split up, so she'd just have to take the exam too.

"I'll take this test," Sasuke told Kakashi. "I imagine it should be interesting."

"Me too," Sakura said. "I know we've all come a long way since the academy, even if it's only been a few months. And if you think we're ready, Kakashi-sensei, then so do I."

Kakashi nodded at the three of them. "All right, then," he said. "You can turn those papers in any time between now and the deadline if you want. For now, you're on your own. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

…

The three of them spent some time trying to figure out what the test might be like, but came to no useful conclusions. They all agreed that there would be a combat test at some point, and likely other components as well, but that wasn't helpful. In the end, they adjourned to a nearby training ground in order to practice before going their separate ways.

Around the village, a number of other teams were reaching similar decisions, while a few chose not to participate. Teams from other villages were already on their way, since they had to be sent early for travel and so the hosting country could perform security checks.

Team 8 took a little more time to decide than Team 7 had. Inuzuka Kiba needed no time to think about it, but Aburame Shino gave the matter a great deal of thought before he elected to participate in the chuunin exams, speaking briefly with his parents concerning the matter. Hyuuga Hinata was a bit hesitant, until she thought of her father's face if she went home and indicated she had passed up the chance to test for a promotion; that immediately tipped the balance in her mind.

Team 10 also spent some time deliberating. Yamanaka Ino was adamant that they had to push forward (partly because she was sick of the busywork that D-rank missions entailed). Chouji was curious about the test and those who would be taking it, and also felt that they had a responsibility to push themselves. The two persuaded Nara Shikamaru without too much difficulty; while he did not relish the prospect of increased responsibility, he was also curious. Regardless, he was too loyal to his team not to be there to watch their backs.

In the end, all nine rookies chose to enter the exams.

Over the next week, those slated to participate in the exam had their workloads reduced in order to help them get ready. Many of the Leaf Village's chuunin were busy preparing for the upcoming test, and ANBU was a bit more visible than usual as they ensured the security of the visitors' quarters; once, in the past, a war had nearly started when a ninja from one village was killed while visiting another for these exams.

With guests expected from the hidden villages of Sand, Sound, Rain, Grass, and Waterfalls, care had to be taken both for the safety of the visitors and to protect the Leaf Village from them. Team 7 spent much of its increased free time training in various ways, and occasionally saw other genin doing the same thing. After the first few days, Kakashi had to rein in Naruto and Sasuke, warning them that if they pushed too hard they wouldn't be rested enough to have a chance at passing the test.

Soon enough, it was time, and the three gathered to begin the exam.

…

Kakashi wished his team good luck the day before the exam began, but left them on their own that morning. When Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke arrived at the appropriate building, they saw a sizable crowd trickling in a few at a time. There were two chuunin at the door, checking to ensure that those coming into the building were the people scheduled to take the test by matching names and faces. They would check a team of three people, then let them in together and move on to the next one. They seemed to be thorough, with a significant interval between the admission of each group.

When Team 7 entered the building, Sakura's spine stiffened as the door closed behind her.

"Do you two feel that?" she asked them.

"Feel what?" Naruto answered. Sasuke's forehead wrinkled slightly for a moment before he nodded.

"Something's wrong," the pink-haired girl told her teammates. "I think it's some sort of genjutsu, but we're only on the fringe of its effect."

As they moved to the stairs, all three focused carefully on their surroundings. They passed the second floor and arrived at the third, then paused for a moment.

"Oh! I see," Sakura said. "That door is an illusion, and so is this label. We're only at the second floor."

"That's why they only let teams enter one at a time," Sasuke realized. "That way if we don't figure it out we go here, and don't just notice the people ahead of us continuing. I imagine everyone who ends up on the second floor is made to wait for a while, and then told they failed if they still haven't figured it out by the time the first exam begins."

Pleased that they had figured out the first test, the three continued up and entered the third floor. They proceeded to the largest room there and entered to see a huge crowd, many of whom turned to size up the newcomers.

There were ninjas from several countries, mostly sitting in clear groups with their comrades around them. One young team from the Sand Village sat a bit apart from the rest. The Sound trio stood out, since they were all alone. The nations of Grass and Waterfalls had each sent six ninjas, who were also fairly visible. At a glance, Sakura guessed that the Leaf village had entered more than twice as many genin as any other. Sand had the next-highest number, clearly, while the Rain ninjas were also there in force.

Sasuke noticed several of the older Leaf genin who had been there already casting looks in his direction. Some also focused attention on another young team who looked as if they had entered only a minute ago; they were just settling into their seats. One was a boy with one of the most distinctive haircuts Sasuke had ever seen and eyebrows whose size he could scarcely believe. The second was a tall, slender girl wearing pink who had several scrolls close to hand. The third, however, seemed to be receiving most of the attention; he had long, dark hair tied back loosely and wore a hooded jacket with short sleeves.

After a moment, he turned to look back directly at Sasuke, as if he had felt the attention on him. Sasuke was interested to see his white eyes – the trademark of the Hyuuga clan. That likely explained the looks. Other than that, Sasuke saw few people who stood out; there was such a variety of clothing and appearance that he could not determine much of use.

He was just beginning to analyze those in the room for threat potential when he felt arms around his neck.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted him too enthusiastically, directly into his ear. "It's so good to see you again. I hope you haven't been horribly depressed from having to put up with Sakura all the time."

"Ino, get the hell off of him," Sakura said angrily. "Sasuke-kun doesn't want your attention, and I'm sure your voice is just as grating as always."

Sasuke cut the fight off before it could really get going by removing Ino's arms from his neck and stepping away from the girl.

"Come on, Ino, there's no point being so noisy," Shikamaru said, joining them. Chouji followed him over and the two greeted Team 7. The four male genin ignored Ino and Sakura as they continued to argue, with Shikamaru sighing and shaking his head once before dropping the matter.

"So, you're taking this troublesome test as well," he said, turning to Sasuke and Naruto. "I guess at least we're not the only ones. I've heard that rookies haven't tested for chuunin in more than four years. Some of the older genin are probably going to hate us on sight," he said, glancing aside at the mass of ninjas further into the room.

"I hadn't realized that," Sasuke answered. "Do you know who those three are?" he asked, inclining his head toward the Leaf trio he had noticed earlier.

"Oh, that's Maito Gai's team," Shikamaru answered. "My father told me he's a taijutsu specialist. Trains like it's his religion, and knows at least four or five taijutsu styles at a master level, not counting others he's less skilled with or weapon styles."

"Really?" Sasuke asked, eyebrows raised. "That's interesting. I wonder if the Hyuuga learned much from him; they're supposed to be pretty proud of their own style."

"Wouldn't know," Shikamaru answered. "Have you heard anything about the Sound ninjas? It's their first year participating, and even rumors have been scarce."

"No, I haven't," Sasuke answered.

The two looked at each other frankly for a moment.

"We're all Leaf ninjas," Sasuke said. "I'll agree to share any important information I come across later if you will, and I imagine we can get our teams to agree as well. Reasonable?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Assuming we aren't in direct competition, definitely. I don't know the details, but people do sometimes die in chuunin exams. I think we can help each other out within reason, and as you say: we're all Leaf ninjas."

"This arrangement is appropriate," Aburame Shino said, walking up behind them. "Forgive me for intruding. I believe my team will also assent to this, especially if I present it as a complete deal rather than asking. And it makes sense for us to watch each other's backs."

While this conversation went on, Naruto was expressing his doubt that the restaurant Chouji had recently visited with his family could possibly be better than Ichiraku's, though he admitted it might still be worth eating at. They paused briefly in their spirited discussion to return the greetings of Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata, the rest of Team 8. Soon, all nine rookies were effectively sitting in their own area of the large classroom, at one edge of the block of Leaf genin.

A few more teams trickled in after them, but not many. Most of the ninjas were openly sizing each other up, trying to learn whatever they could before the test began for real without giving anything away, or talking to their teammates and countrymen. A few appeared nonchalant, although some betrayed themselves with small signs of nervousness.

Finally, the examiners arrived, coming in the door in a large group.

"Time to find the room is up, so we will be beginning the first exam. Anyone not here by now is disqualified. All of you, take your seats."

The man who spoke was a Leaf chuunin with a scarred face, wearing a cloth over his head. "My name is Morino Ibiki, and I'll be the head proctor of this stage of the chuunin exams. Is anyone here missing a team member?"

No one spoke up in response, although a few looked much more alert; several of the older Leaf genin were looking at the man warily.

"I'll take that as a no," he said. "Everyone was assigned a number downstairs when you entered the building. Take the seat corresponding to your number."

They did as instructed; ninjas from the same team were all spread apart a significant distance, and even those from the same country were not generally next to each other. There were a number of empty spaces in the room, presumably for teams that had failed to spot the genjutsu and been disqualified as a result.

"Now listen up," Ibiki said once everyone was sitting down. "The first test is a written exam. We will hand papers out to each of you shortly, but first I will explain the rules. There are ten questions, and you start out with ten points. Each time you fail to answer a question, or give an incorrect answer, you will lose a point. Any time you are caught cheating, you will lose two points. To advance to the second exam, every member of your team must pass the test. Depending on how well you do, you may have certain advantages, so I recommend you try to do more than just pass."

Soon the papers were passed out, facedown, and everyone was ready.

"Begin," Ibiki ordered, and all of the students turned over their tests. One or two began to write in the next few seconds, though most did not. Uzumaki Naruto looked at the first question and couldn't really understand it – some sort of math problem that had to do with throwing weapons – so he moved on. Soon he had read through the entire test and came to the unpleasant conclusion that there was only one question he thought he could answer. Question #3 was about codes, and it seemed like the time Sakura had spent helping him might pay off, because he was fairly confident he could figure it out. After a few moments, he got to work, putting the others aside for now.

_These questions are far too hard for most genin,_ Sakura thought to herself. _I can answer them all, but that's got to be the exception rather than the rule. What's the point of letting so many people get this far when most of us can't pass?_ It took a minute or two of considering the matter for her to get it.

Sasuke figured it out quickly, after looking at the questions and finding that he could only answer one or two. He realized that he had a feeling something was off since Ibiki's explanation, and soon determined why that was; normally, cheating on a test would be an automatic fail. The only reason to make it a point deduction instead was to encourage the practice…

Unfortunately, the chuunin were extremely vigilant, somehow watching every student all the time and often writing something on their clipboards. It only took twenty minutes for the first student to get caught cheating a fifth time and be sent out of the room with his scowling teammates in tow. Others soon followed.

Sasuke answered the few questions he could and tried to figure out how he could cheat subtly, without giving himself away. Naruto finished one question and then felt stuck. He had experience with deception from combat and his pranks, but there was no way he could _start_ cheating with the proctors' eyes already on him without it being obvious. Maybe if he had some of his gear for pranks it would be possible, but that stuff was all back home and quite useless to him now. After thinking for a moment, he remembered that it was a team test; maybe Sakura or Sasuke would think of something? Still, he shouldn't let it be obvious that he wasn't still writing. Naruto began to write random words and numbers for the questions he didn't understand, then erase them. This way, he reasoned, the proctors would see no major difference if one of his teammates found a way to send him a message and he began writing.

Sakura finished her own test and turned her mind to the matter of how she could help her team. She quickly ran through Naruto's abilities in her head and could think of nothing that would help him cheat in these circumstances. Similarly, Sasuke didn't have a lot of options that she could think of. His skills in combat would be totally useless here.

It took two minutes for her to realize that she had a solution, and she had to fight hard to keep from smiling once she saw it. It was perfect!

Sasuke was quite surprised a minute later when he began to see words writing themselves on his test.

"Sakura genjutsu – only you can see," were the first. "Scratch your head twice if you received this message."

He did as instructed and had to fight down a smile. This was a method he hadn't thought of. Genjutsu would not help Sakura gather information, but it would allow her to pass it on to her teammates.

"Going through the questions in sequence from first to last, tap your desk with your pencil once if you have an answer and three times if you do not."

Soon, Sakura knew that he had answered two successfully. Now, she began to show her answers one at a time. Sasuke copied them down carefully and steadily. It was important to avoid mistakes, but he also knew he had to be quick; a continuous genjutsu like this must be taxing for Sakura, and she likely had to help Naruto as well, afterwards.

…

With so many ninjas, there were a variety of methods on display. One strange ninja from Sand seemed to be concentrating a great deal, but it wasn't clear what he was focusing on besides his paper. The young man had a gourd on his back and kept one eye closed for most of the test until he was finished writing. His teammates also seemed competent; the blonde girl at least appearing to write steadily and occasionally going back to check her work or fix a mistake. The boy, in all black clothes and carrying a puppet at his side, wrote with brief pauses for thinking.

None of the observers realized that the "boy" was a puppet, and the apparently motionless package he carried was the actual candidate, although they figured it out later. Kankurou found it uncomfortable but he had practice with this particular deception, and being concealed in this way had several advantages. In addition to being able to see several papers to his left, it also meant no one was aware of it when he used his chakra strings to send the answers rolling to Temari along the floor.

Team 10 was finding the test a bit challenging, although Shikamaru had pierced its deceptive nature at once. He answered a few questions on his own, and was currently employing his shadow mimic technique on a candidate two rows ahead of him. The girl wrote quickly and surely, and Shikamaru allowed her freedom to do so. She never noticed that the Leaf ninja two rows behind her was moving in an identical fashion, and she never had any idea afterward, when he re-phrased his answers and wrote them in his own handwriting to make the cheating less obvious.

Chouji was trying to look diligent instead of bored, but this sort of academic stuff was a bit over his head, for the most part. He was essentially waiting for Ino or Shikamaru to help him once they were finished.

Ino had been planning to use her technique on Sakura, knowing that her old friend and rival would likely be able to answer these questions, but her line of sight wasn't clear so she had to settle for a different target. Memorizing all the answers at once was challenging, but she managed it. When she checked on Shikamaru and Chouji after finishing, she saw that her teammates were both discretely tapping their left hands to signal that Shikamaru's shadow technique was in use.

From his seat at the front of the room, Morino Ibiki had the best view of the candidates' eyes. The longer the test went on, the more it was becoming obvious who had figured out a solution and who was panicking. The Sound ninjas seemed quite calm, along with the nine rookies and Gai's team, which he found intriguing. Maybe these kids were ready, after all.

Team 8 might have had the easiest time of it, although they still had to make an effort. Akamaru quietly told Kiba what he needed from his usual perch, and the pair were bright enough that they only cheated that way four times, just in case the examiners caught them; four right answers should be enough to pass, after all, with his team. Aburame Shino's insects delivered the answers to him, although the process was a bit time-consuming, and soon after he had one land on Kiba's desk to help fill him in on the rest. Hyuuga Hinata had no trouble answering all ten questions with her Byakugan, although she found herself a bit distracted afterward. The young woman was on the verge of trying to help Uzumaki Naruto, who was seated to her right and looked like he was working hard and getting nowhere, when the yellow-haired genin suddenly twitched. He tapped the side of his face a few times while examining his paper thoughtfully before he began to write. This time, he didn't erase his work.

When the time was up, Ibiki had them all place their pencils down and turn their tests over. "Those of you who remain, good job," he told them. "You used your skills and training to overcome this challenge without being obvious. A chuunin must be able to act with subtlety, or else he is not ready to lead."

He gave them a moment to congratulate themselves. "We will be beginning the second exam shortly. First, however, there is one other matter: each of you must answer a certain essay question. There are no points involved, and this will not affect whether you progress further in the exam. For those of you who manage to make it that far, however, it will affect whether you are promoted to chuunin, so I suggest you take it seriously."

Their completed papers were collected and new ones handed out; these were mostly blank, with only one question: "Assess yourself and your two teammates as candidates for chuunin in a concise essay below."

"You'll have only twenty minutes for this, but there is no trick this time," Ibiki told them. "Begin."

Sasuke almost spent time looking for a trick anyway, but soon decided that the lead examiner had really meant what he said. This was clearly a different kind of test, meant to evaluate their analysis skills, relationships with teammates and maturity. If they could not give a good explanation, it would indicate that they did not understand the responsibilities of being a chuunin – a potential squad leader.

He started with evaluating himself, which felt strange at first. While he analyzed his own abilities quite often, this felt like bragging, and Uchiha Sasuke was not generally given to bragging. When he thought himself better than someone, he didn't go out of his way to spread that fact around. Still, they had asked for this.

Sasuke saw himself as a focused and disciplined individual. He had given his life to becoming the best ninja he could be from a young age, and his dedication to that goal had become the most important defining fact of his existence in the years since he lost his clan. He was skilled in ninjutsu and taijutsu and capable of blending them together seamlessly in a way most genin his age could not. But now he was forced to ask himself something else: could he lead?

He had to think about it. He felt he understood people fairly well, although he had found himself surprised at the improvements in both his teammates since they were first picked for Team 7. He had regarded both as largely useless at the time, but Naruto was now able to push him in sparring and Sakura was the one who had carried their team through the first exam only minutes ago. He knew his peers generally regarded him as skilled but standoffish – would that prevent him from leading effectively? Somehow Kakashi managed to lead despite being apparently lazy and unreliable most of the time…

He grew so lost in thought that he had to snap himself back to reality and rush in order to finish in time. When he was done, he wasn't sure what to think about his own leadership ability, and he found himself surprised by how positive his assessments of Naruto and Sakura were.

Of those two, Sakura was done first. She had to restrain her enthusiasm a bit when the time came to analyze her Sasuke-kun, but other than that ran into no real difficulties. Naruto, on the other hand, was giving a great deal of thought to what it would mean to be a leader, and realizing that he hadn't thoroughly understood what it meant when he decided to become Hokage. He had wanted respect, but there was more than that.

Considering Kakashi and old man Hokage, Naruto determined that they were both teachers, as well as leaders. Could he do that? He thought he could, actually. Konohamaru followed him around wanting to learn from him, after all, and that had to be a good sign. He had successfully taught him a thing or two already, even. As far as leading a squad…well, he valued his teammates, and he would do his best to fight for them as well as he could. He knew he wasn't the sharpest mind, but he was capable of listening to people when he needed to, and he had been getting better at teamwork.

As for his teammates, Sasuke was easily the stronger fighter. People often admired his skill, but it was hard to say whether anyone would follow him, since he spent most of his free time alone. Sakura, on the other hand, had become much more effective as a ninja. She could plan, but at the same time didn't seem to rely entirely on her own abilities.

The twenty minutes was soon over, and the brief essays completed and collected. Ibiki looked like he was just about to speak when something crashed through the window and then unfolded into a dark-haired and unusually-dressed woman with a Leaf forehead protector.

"Okay, you've all kept me waiting long enough!" she announced loudly. "I am second examiner Mitarashi Anko, and you're all going to follow me!"

Everyone stared at her in surprise for a moment, before the woman frowned and turned to Ibiki.

"26 teams passed, Ibiki? Were you asleep on the job?"

"It's a good crop this year," he replied calmly. "You know Hokage-sama is going to make you pay for that window, right?"

"Well, don't worry my adorable young genin!" she said loudly, ignoring the man. "I guess having so many in the second exam will just make it more interesting. I promise to make at least half of you fail!" When no one responded, her eyes narrowed. "Follow me," she said in a more normal tone. "Anyone who's late can just get kicked out."

At that, she went back out the window.

The genin scrambled to follow her, with some quicker off the mark than others. Team 7 had reacted promptly (Naruto made a mental note to thank Kakashi for helping them learn to react immediately to surprises) while a few ninjas were practically dragging teammates out of their seats to avoid falling behind.

She set a fast pace, but it was manageable, and the candidates followed her to a rather forbidding forest with tall trees and thick undergrowth, surrounded by a high fence. A few people were panting after the rush to get here, but no one was left behind.

"This is the Leaf Village's training area #44, sometimes called the Forest of Death. I can see that some of our locals have heard of it," she smirked at a small group of Leaf candidates who were whispering to each other, "but don't worry, its reputation is not accurate. This place is significantly more dangerous than you've probably heard."

Someone snorted, and Anko was instantly standing behind the man, holding a kunai to his throat. "Don't make noise while I'm talking. You all need to hear me clearly," she said. The young man stood perfectly still until she removed the blade, then apologized quietly.

"Great!" Anko said with cheerful enthusiasm, "then we can continue. Now, before we start the second test, you'll need to sign one of these waivers," she produced a stack of papers seemingly from nowhere as she spoke, "absolving me and the Leaf Village of responsibility if you die during the exam. It's standard practice, so feel free not to read them carefully first."

The waivers were quickly handed out and soon signed by all present; most knew that they risked death on a regular basis as ninjas, and so considered the choice an easy one. Few hesitated for long, particularly with the competition and their teammates around.

In truth, all the participating villages understood that their candidates would be in danger after the first exam, but this measure had proven an effective way for the psychologically unprepared to weed themselves out in the past.

Once the waivers were all collected, Anko continued. "So, everyone will be moving on. How wonderful! The second exam is a direct competition between teams. Just as before, you cannot fight or harm each other until we give authorization, but once you enter the forest you will be enemies. Each team will be given one of these two scrolls," she said, producing them (again seemingly from nowhere). "Your objective will be to arrive at the center of the forest in a complete group of three, alive and with both scrolls unopened. That means you must take whichever one you lack from another team. You will have five days to accomplish this goal."

The crowd of genin were all eyeing each other suspiciously now, some sizing up the competition while others tried to decide whether they could form an alliance with those from their own village or trying to account for an opponent they were particularly concerned about. Anko cut that short, however, when she began to speak again.

"The forest contains a large number of dangerous animals and even plants. Your task is to survive, locate the enemy, and overcome them through stealth, intelligence and combat. You will not be penalized for killing in the course of achieving your goals, but that is not an excuse to start a bloodbath. We're not the Village of Bloody Mist. If someone dies in a fight, that's one thing. If you run around trying to butcher people for no reason, keep in mind that you're unlikely to make chuunin, and your superiors back home probably won't be happy that you've complicated their lives. Don't be stupid."

Reactions to that little speech were mixed again. A few candidates looked pleased at the beginning but disappointed as Anko continued, though most seemed to be accepting the distinction with no difficulty, or at least hiding their opinions well. Of course, Sasuke reflected, in this crowd they could not trust anyone's reaction to be genuine. People might be pretending to be bloodthirsty or emotionless.

"Finally, there is one last thing," Anko told them. "The examiners from the first exam should be about done grading your answers by now, and will soon bring me the results. I hope everyone who made it this far realized that there were two ways to pass; with your own knowledge, or by cheating. For those of you who cheated, good for you!" she cheered. "I hope you checked the answers, because the chuunin who we sent in undercover for you to spy on made some mistakes. The total number of points your team scored will determine when you enter the forest. Those with more points will enter earlier, while those with fewer points will enter later. You are not allowed to attack within sight of the entrances, but people who enter sooner can use the time however they wish beyond that. I suggest you use your imagination."

…

The Leaf's three rookie teams had all scored well, and were entering in the first half, along with the team from Sound, several each from Sand and Leaf, and one team each of Grass and Rain ninjas. Only one of the teams from Waterfall had made it past the first exam, and very few of the Rain ninjas were left.

The teams were called up one by one and assigned to a chuunin, who then led them to their designated entrance and gave them their scroll. Team 7's scroll of Heaven ended up in Sasuke's pack. They decided to use their extra time to try to get a bit deeper into the forest and secure food and drinkable water. Most of the candidates weren't fully prepared for this sort of thing, since they hadn't specifically expected it and had not known that the second exam would take place immediately after the first.

"What I'm wondering is, where was she hiding the scrolls and waivers," Naruto said as they stood at their gate.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"The examiner," Naruto explained. "I mean, you both saw what she was wearing too, right? There wasn't any place for her to hide a needle, let alone a bunch of papers."

There was silence for a moment as everyone considered what he had said, picturing Mitarashi Anko in her trench coat.

"Naruto," Sakura said sweetly, "Shut up before I knock you across this forest."

Sasuke just looked away, shaking his head, while the chuunin who was watching them tried not to laugh. He was still internally debating whether Anko would be outraged or amused if he relayed the conversation to her when he got the order to send them into the forest.

…

About half an hour after entering the arena, Team 10 was surprised to find Team 8 moving to meet them, but stopping before they approached closely enough to provoke immediate hostilities.

"Are we going to fight each other?" Chouji asked. "I'd rather not."

"That will not be necessary," Aburame Shino replied.

"Actually, we have a proposal," Kiba told the other team. "We already know that Shikamaru is carrying your Earth scroll. It just so happens we have the same type, so fighting would be pointless."

"I hope you're willing to back that up," Shikamaru replied.

Wordlessly, Hinata pulled their scroll out of her backpack, clearly displaying it for them to see.

"We propose an alliance," Kiba said. "As rookies, we figure a lot of people are likely to see us as easy targets. We'll sucker them in and take them down. It should be a lot easier with six of us working together, and since we know there's nothing to gain by fighting, why not collaborate?"

"It would be mutually beneficial," Shino commented. "Your abilities are better-suited to close combat as a whole, and our tracking techniques will cover your gaps as well. Six people moving carefully are not much less stealthy than three, and it will also make it easier to arrange a watch schedule at night without undue fatigue."

They soon had a deal. Not long after that, they had an ambush.

"Come on, Shikamaru, we have to get moving or someone's going to find us," Ino whined. "Did you see that Sound team? Some of these people look like real killers, we have to move!"

"Stop being troublesome, Ino," Shikamaru replied. "No one will look for us here. It's foolish to stay this close to the entrances, so no one will expect it, obviously. There's no reason we can't take a break while everyone else is running around, wearing themselves out."

The three Sand genin who found them could scarcely believe their luck. Even for rookies, this seemed too stupid to be true. But then, they had heard some people saying that Leaf ninjas were soft, and they did look like they were young. They had probably never faced other ninjas in a life-or-death situation before.

When the fat one pulled out a bag of chips and the other boy actually closed his eyes, they decided to move, and jumped down out of their tree.

They were halfway to the ground when they realized that something looked off about it, and failed to adjust their landings in time, falling into the well-hidden pit trap. The three crawled out hastily, throwing shuriken to distract the rookies, and were just gathering themselves to attack when suddenly one of them collapsed.

The other two turned to look at their comrade and were surprised to see a fourth rookie, this one a dark-haired girl with strange eyes, running toward them as their teammate dropped unconscious to the ground. She began to move toward the Sand ninja on her left, then suddenly pivoted toward the other and stopped her charge short. The one she was now ignoring was about to take advantage of her error when he suddenly realized he couldn't move, and noticed out of the corner of his eye that his teammate's shadow looked unusual. Before he could come to any useful conclusions, he was knocked out. The last Sand ninja followed shortly thereafter, struck from behind by Chouji.

"That went better than I expected," Shikamaru commented moments later. "They even have a Heaven scroll."

"We need to depart immediately," Hinata told them as Kiba, Akamaru and Shino joined the others. "There is another team heading in this direction. It is possible they heard the ambush, or are detecting us or our victims in another way."

"Sounds good to me," Kiba said. "Let's move. Chouji, why don't you carry the new scroll for now. No offense to the two of you," he looked at Ino and Shikamaru, "I just think he's the most trustworthy one on your team, and I'd prefer not to be left hanging now that we've helped you out."

"No offense taken," Shikamaru answered, although Ino's eyes showed her clear annoyance. "I'd trust Chouji more than me, too."

Soon they were jumping away through the trees. Hinata called a halt not long after.

"Whoever the other team is, they reached the three Sand ninjas but are now following us," she reported. "It's hard to say for certain, but I think they stopped just long enough to search and determine that they have no scroll. I'm still not sure how they're following us, although I can tell that only one of them seems to be able to track us. He's leading the way, and frequently signals or gestures to the other two."

"Are they outpacing us?" Shikamaru asked.

"Barely," Hinata answered. "And it appears to take some effort on their part to do so."

"I think we should keep moving a bit further, then set another ambush," Shikamaru said. "They could be sensing our chakra or something. There's no way to know if they realize how many of us there are, but when we fight we should assume that they're comfortable with two-to-one odds."

They hashed out the rest of the ambush on the run. The two teams had collaborated at times in the past, during practice missions, which made it easier.

Soon they saw the enemy approaching; Rain ninjas this time. They stopped short, abandoning subtlety to approach head-on.

"You kids can give us an Earth scroll right now and we'll let you run away in one piece," the leader said arrogantly. He was a tall man, looking like he was in his mid-twenties, with a pair of blades strapped to his back and a few faint scars on his face. His two teammates stood behind him. One was about the same age, and he had a face that just seemed forgettable. He looked like everyone and no one, and his weaponry appeared similarly standard and unremarkable. The last looked a few years younger but had madness in his eyes; just a glance shouted that this man enjoyed blood and gloried in the power to spill it.

"I don't think we will," Shikamaru answered, stepping out from behind a tree. "After all, you've hardly been polite."

"Last chance, kid," the man said, eyes narrowing. "Killing six of you won't be any harder than killing three."

"With that attitude, I don't think I can trust you to let us go," Shikamaru replied. "How do I know you'll keep your word?" He let some fear creep into his voice. It wasn't entirely feigned either; these men were obviously dangerous, and he had no doubt that all three of them had killed before.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You're starting to sound sensible, but I'm not going to let you stall. Tell your allies to come out where I can see them, or this conversation is over."

Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "All right," he acquiesced. "Guys, come out. He said he'll let us go if we cooperate."

The young, bloodthirsty-looking one smirked a bit at that, and didn't manage to hide it quite fast enough, convincing Shikamaru that his guess had been right; these three wouldn't have let them go if they ran. If anything, the appearance of weakness would have made them even hungrier for blood.

It was a good thing they had never planned to surrender.

Ino stepped out next to Shikamaru, looking uncertain. "Shikamaru, are you sure about this? I don't know about trusting this guy."

"Relax, Ino," he said. "I'm sure he won't hurt us after we beat him senseless and take his scroll."

At that, the lead Rain ninja angrily signaled his two comrades and jumped forward toward Shikamaru and Ino.

The older one went left, toward Chouji and Shino, but found he was weakening even as he began. He tried to begin a technique and realized belatedly that he had less chakra than normal. After Chouji knocked him down with a quick combination and began to restrain him, he was shocked to see a stream of bugs crawl from his back over his shoulders and back to the other rookie genin in front of him; he hadn't even noticed them begin to drain his chakra while his leader spoke to Shikamaru.

The bloodthirsty one went right, only to find himself enveloped in a smoke cloud. He tried to leap out but Kiba and Akamaru kept hitting him from different angles. The glancing blows kept him off-balance and he was coughing in the middle of the cloud. Hinata, who had no trouble seeing him clearly even with her eyes closed so they would not be irritated by the smoke, moved in and finished him off before the cloud could dissipate.

The leader drew his weapons, a long sword and a shorter blade for his off hand, as he closed the distance with Ino and Shikamaru. The blonde drew a kunai in each hand and acted like she was going to face him head-on while the boy with her stepped back, hands moving in a seal. When the Rain ninja planted his feet to push off of the next tree branch, however, he suddenly found he couldn't move.

Ino shook her head as she walked around behind the opponent. "I really can't believe the way you manage to get everyone with the same damn technique," she said to Shikamaru in a conversational tone. "I mean, everyone. I'm not sure if it's funny or sad."

Shikamaru didn't reply, keeping his focus on the task at hand. The Rain ninja was still frantically trying to move a few seconds later when Ino knocked him unconscious.

…

In the meantime, Team 7 had been moving deeper into the forest and away from their entrance. They had gathered potable water and were considering their next move.

"Do you think we should go farther in, or start looking for other teams now?" Sakura asked.

"I don't see any point in putting it off," Naruto answered immediately. "We'll have to fight sooner or later, and I'm ready now."

"For once, I agree with the loudmouth," Sasuke said. "If we wait, all that happens is that the number of teams will drop and the ones that are left will likely be harder to defeat. Best to get started."

With that settled, they picked a direction and set off. The pace was far slower than their top movement speed, since they were trying to avoid noise and look for signs of others' passage. As they ran, they saw a variety of large and unpleasant creatures, but managed to avoid them all.

After a bit more than a half hour, Sasuke signaled for them to halt.

"We should take a quick break," he said, staring briefly into his teammates' eyes.

Both were surprised at first. Naruto was opening his mouth to speak when Sakura cut him off.

"You're right, Sasuke-kun," she agreed. "If we push too hard we'll just wear ourselves out."

_How long?_ She asked in hand signs.

_About fifteen minutes._ Sasuke answered. _Just one enemy. Naruto, say you're going to the bathroom and send some clones for him. He's about fifty meters southwest. Circle wide so he doesn't escape._

"Fine," Naruto said out loud, rolling his eyes. "Geez, you two are wimps. Well, if we're stopping anyway, I'm going to the bathroom."

He walked around the tree and stayed there for a minute before returning.

"So, how long do you two ladies need to put on your makeup?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Because I don't know if you remember, but I'm pretty sure that we have enemies around to fight, and we should probably get to it. If we have to rush later you might break a nail."

"Listen, you loudmouthed little jerk," Sasuke responded, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't know a decent strategy or tactic if it walked up and punched you in the face, so why don't you just leave the thinking to the smart people, okay?"

_Any second_, Naruto signed.

"Come on, guys, take it easy," Sakura said. "We've got enough other people to fight, there's no need to fight each other."

Naruto was about to speak again when he stopped, turned southwest and took off. The other two immediately followed, dropping the charade.

They found a Rain ninja wearing white clothes and a breath mask. He had a black eye and was cradling one arm to his chest, and stumbled backwards with a noticeable limp away from two of Naruto's shadow clones.

"Unlucky," he groaned as he stumbled backward. "Coming alone turned against me."

They soon had him restrained, but a quick search revealed that he did not have a scroll with him.

"It's not surprising," Sasuke concluded. "If he came alone, bringing the scroll would be foolish. He was clearly relying on stealth, hoping to take us by surprise. My guess is he would have struck at night. That way, he might only have to deal with one of us."

"But what do we do with him now?" Naruto asked. "I know killing's allowed, but I'm not cutting his throat in cold blood. Taking him with us isn't an option, and if we let him go he'll just get his team and then it's three on three."

"Actually, they should come looking for him soon anyway," Sakura realized. "Whether they like him or not, only complete teams pass the exam, remember? They must either have a way to track him or know what direction he went in, so they should be along anytime now. We should just get ready and let them find him."

They agreed to that plan, and soon found reasonable concealment nearby. Because they had come straight from the first exam, none of them was wearing camouflage that was appropriate to this environment, but at least that was true of most of the other teams as well. Naruto created a few shadow clones and had them change form into rocks and other mundane objects nearby.

A bit more than twenty minutes later, he tapped his teammates on the shoulder and signed again.

_Two rain ninja, similar clothes. Closing in on prisoner from northwest. Get ready._

Sakura looked confused for a moment. _How do you know?_

Naruto looked confused in return. _One of my clones saw them._

_But how did it tell you?_ Sakura asked.

Naruto's eyes widened as he suddenly realized that he had been subconsciously making use of his shadow clone technique without ever thinking about the fact that he absorbed his clones' memories. He was almost swept up in how amazingly awesome this discovery was and nearly forgot to focus on the matter at hand, but managed to get himself back on track after a few moments.

_Will explain later. _He promised. _We should move now._

Sasuke took the lead, rising even as Naruto's hands were still in motion.

They arrived just as the two Rain ninjas were about to move and free their comrade.

Sakura began the attack, throwing an explosive note between the tied-up hostage and his two teammates. They were forced to jump back, and the restrained man rolled so that he was facing away from the explosion.

Naruto's concealed clones took that as their signal to reveal themselves and attack from all directions, forcing the two enemies apart as they defended themselves from the high number of individual threats. The two looked almost indistinguishable from their teammate; they wore mostly white, with similar masks, and carried no visible weapons beyond those common to most ninjas.

Soon Sasuke saw his opening and came at the first from behind. The opponent had just about finished mopping up the clones sent against him, and seemed to hear Sasuke coming, since he turned in time to deflect the kick aimed at his face with one arm. Sasuke followed up with two quick punches at the man's chest and an uppercut at his chin, all three of which were evaded. The Uchiha held onto the initiative, however, dropping into a leg sweep that caught his enemy by surprise and dumped him on the ground. The man landed on his back and rolled to one side and then back to his feet.

As he did so, Sasuke finished his hand seals. "Fire technique: Grand Fireball!"

The man's eyes widened at the size of the flame and he dove to one side, but wasn't able to avoid it completely. His sleeve caught and he was forced to drop to the ground and roll to extinguish it. Unfortunately, doing so left him to exposed, and Sasuke finished him with a kick to the temple.

The second man went down under a hail of fists as the real Uzumaki Naruto lead seven clones to victory, pummeling him. They quickly tied him up and searched him, and Naruto was a bit disappointed to find a second scroll of Heaven.

"I know it's not what we need, but it's still not useless," Sakura said. "We might be able to trade it later, either for the right one or just to avoid a fight. Either way, it's worth hanging on to."

"Agreed," Sasuke said. "Let's get some distance between us and this place before they wake up or someone else comes along. One of you two carry the second scroll; we should split them up."

…

Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee and Tenten managed to avoid detection for the first day, gathering provisions and keeping a low profile. Neji's eyes made it easy for them to stay clear of most teams, and luck took care of the rest.

The Sound ninjas detected one Sand trio, but they had been firmly instructed to leave that team alone and steered wide of them, seeking easier prey.

That team soon found another from the Rain Village. They had the wrong scroll, and the Sand ninjas left it there among three crushed corpses. Another group from the Leaf later stumbled on the site and took it, however. A total of five teams lost their scrolls the first day, though only one of them died. The rest plotted and planned, moving deeper into the forest. Only one team was wholly unconcerned with passing the test: three ninjas wearing Grass forehead protectors, who entered the exam area 11th out of 26 teams.

…

END CHAPTER


	8. Cursed Gifts

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

Mitarashi Anko was happily enjoying her dango and listening for the sounds of battle in the forest when she got the bad news.

"Anko-san," the chuunin said as he landed nearby. "You must come quickly. We've found three bodies, but the faces are missing. We think they were test candidates."

"The faces?" she asked automatically, before her brain caught up to her mouth. "Show me at once!"

It took little time for her to realize she had seen the missing faces on three Grass ninjas who were inside the forest already. Once she saw the bodies, it took almost no time for her to come to a conclusion.

"Tell the Hokage that I have entered the forest in pursuit of interlopers, and that I suspect one of them may be Orochimaru," she told the chuunin. "Get me some backup from ANBU, and make it fast. Have the forest's entire perimeter watched for anyone who leaves. Chuunin are not to engage Orochimaru if you see him; you won't even slow him down. Go!"

…

As the second day dawned, everyone had gotten their bearings. The teams that had lost their scrolls but survived were frantically hunting for anyone, since they now had to find both Heaven and Earth scrolls in order to advance. Two had the misfortune to encounter each other, resulting in a pointless battle that only tired them out. Maito Gai's students split up to search for likely targets, having secured provisions and gotten a bit more rest than the competition. The Sound genin were searching for their assigned target or a likely-looking enemy. Teams 8 and 10 had chosen to stay together for safety as they moved toward the tower. They pushed their speed, hoping to reach the safe zone without encountering any additional enemies.

As for Team 7, they had not been moving long when they met their next obstacle. Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath their feet. After a few moments, a giant snake reared out of the ground, then rushed at them. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke scattered to avoid the beast, but it zeroed in on the yellow-haired boy and struck him with its closed mouth. The thing moved quickly for its size, and it was all Naruto could do to avoid its fangs as it sent him flying and then chased after him.

Dirt and debris fell into the hole the serpent had left behind it. Sasuke and Sakura had to fight to keep their footing, and before they could move to help Naruto another threat emerged. Rising from the same hole the snake had just vacated, a tall ninja wearing a Grass Village forehead protector stepped into view. He seemed to be evaluating them with an air of curiosity and no trace of concern.

Sakura was trying to figure out what was happening. They needed to help Naruto with that snake, but this man looked too dangerous to take her eyes off him, even for a second. Somehow, his presence commanded her attention.

Sasuke was holding up a little better, though he was still unnerved. The man was alone, but he seemed perfectly at ease. He was looking at the two of them like they were items on a dinner menu, and he was considering whether to complain to the chef.

"Hmm…you want my Earth scroll, don't you?" he asked, producing it as he spoke. "You have the Heaven scroll, after all. Do you think you are strong enough to claim it?" He waited a few moments, but neither Sasuke nor Sakura were sure what to do or say, so they only stood quietly. "Don't bore me, please," he said with a sigh. "I suppose if neither of you can speak, we might as well get started."

He met their eyes each in turn, and the two genin felt paralyzed for a brief moment before they could breathe again.

_This is a killer,_ Sakura thought. _Zabuza was a butcher, but this man is something else entirely._

Sasuke wasn't thinking in words. He remembered feeling utterly powerless before in the face of a stronger ninja, but pushed the recollection aside.

The man casually drew a pair of kunai and threw them at the two figures kneeling in front of him. Sakura was just coming to her senses when Sasuke grabbed her and leapt away, trying to bring his own scrambled thoughts into order.

The urge to flee was overpowering.

"So, you weren't quite that weak," the man said. "I'm glad. I'd hate for this to be a waste of time."

"We'll give you our scroll if you let us go," Sasuke called out from behind a tree. "I can tell you're strong. But if you try to come after us, I'll destroy the scroll and you'll have to find another. There's no reason to waste your time, is there?"

Sakura's eyes widened at that. He was just…giving up? Already? Part of her was shocked; after all they hadn't tried to fight, and her Sasuke-kun was the best! But just as that thought surfaced, her more analytical self rose to the front of her mind.

This man was insanely dangerous. He seemed like he could kill them without serious effort, and fighting him was tantamount to suicide. Nothing could possibly be gained. Besides, Naruto had another scroll of Heaven with him; they could afford to lose one.

Wait a minute – this man was far too strong for a genin.

"Sasuke, he's not here for the scroll!" she blurted out. As she began, she remembered a conversation Team 7 had some time ago. "He's here…for you."

Sasuke looked at her in surprise. He had been so focused on solving the immediate problem that he hadn't even considered he might be looking at the _wrong_ problem, but the second she said it he knew it made sense.

"Quite correct, my pretty child," the man said, his voice sending a creeping dread up Sakura's spine. He was only a few feet away from them now, though neither had heard his movement. "It's good to know that training standards haven't slipped too much."

…

Uzumaki Naruto collided with several trees, the ground, two bushes, and at least one rock before he was able to stand again; that snake had hit him hard. Just as he was getting his bearings, the thing's tail batted him to one side and then coiled around him. He was just about to stab it with a kunai when its gigantic mouth came straight down from above and closed over him.

Being an upbeat sort of guy, he took this development well.

"Let me out of here, you damn stupid huge thing!" he screamed. He couldn't get any leverage, and he was squished in so tightly that he couldn't reach his kunai now. The one he had been holding had fallen from his hand, and was presumably somewhere inside this damn snake, but he had no way to look for it in the dark.

After a few moments, he had a bit of inspiration and decided to apply the classic Naruto solution for any combat-related problem that seemed insoluble.

"Mass Shadow Clone Technique!" he yelled, putting a large amount of chakra into it.

Had anyone been there to see it, it might have been ranked as one of the messier deaths in history as the snake practically exploded, the sheer pressure of all the clones causing it to burst from the inside.

"Disgusting," Naruto muttered as he crawled out of the pile of…things he decided not to look at closely or think about in detail.

…

"You're quite right, girl," the man told them. "I'm not here for the test, or any silly scroll." With that, he held up his Earth scroll in one hand. It burst into flames and he smiled as they watched, mesmerized. Sakura was only now noticing that his eyes were wrong; they looked like a reptile's eyes, not a man's. "If you want to go on, however, you will have to fight me. Because if you run…I will chase you down and kill you. Your only hope is that a battle will satisfy me. So I suggest you show me the best that you have."

There was another moment of silence as the two genin stared at him, then Sasuke finally seemed to snap out of whatever had been gripping him since the man first arrived.

"Fine," he told the man, setting his jaw. "Let's go."

The man smiled at that, then blurred forward, fists flying at Sasuke's face and body. He was impossibly fast. Sakura's eyes couldn't keep up with his speed; he moved like Kakashi-sensei, or maybe faster. For a minute she forgot to help, it was so incredible and intimidating.

Sasuke was barely dodging most of the blows, or parrying them. He tried to avoid blocking, because the force was enough to hurt even through his blocks, but had to do it occasionally. After a four-punch combination, he suddenly found a kunai coming at his face and barely managed to dodge to one side, the blade cutting his cheek before it embedded itself in the tree behind him nearly up to the hilt. He leapt backward and to the side, but the strange man somehow got there faster, kicking him in the stomach and sending him skidding backward.

"You must have more than that, Sasuke-kun, surely," he said, sounding disappointed.

Sakura came in from behind him and to his right, sweeping low. Sasuke charged the man and went high, hoping to distract him.

He easily evaded both blows, then struck Sakura twice in the belly. She reeled backwards and he hit her across the mouth, then kicked her into a tree. She hit hard, headfirst, and Sasuke thought her eyes rolled up into her head as she collapsed to the ground.

"Now, where were we," the man said, turning back to Sasuke. "Oh, that's right," he continued, right before he flew forward again to attack. Sasuke was desperate, now. Sakura might not be at his own level, but she had been working hard and had become formidable; this man had barely noticed her.

The fight continued, and after another half-minute that felt like a half-hour, Sasuke began to notice something strange. The man's movements were becoming clearer. At first he thought he was just reading patterns, but the longer it went on the more he realized it was something else. The man started to smile as if pleased and sped up slightly, but Sasuke didn't feel desperate anymore. He was nearly high on adrenaline, moving faster than he ever had in his life. He felt intensely aware of the fact that he was sweating, of the blood trickling from the cut on his cheek and into his mouth, where it tasted thick and alive. The next combination was a high punch, followed by a low punch and a leg sweep.

Sasuke blocked the first, then the second, and finally jumped over the leg sweep and kicked his enemy in the face, landing his first solid blow of the entire fight. The man stumbled backward, then straightened and looked at him, smiling.

"Ah…there is the power of the Uchiha," he said, seeming to savor the words. "Sharingan…an eye technique of unparalleled power in this world. For you to awaken it in battle this way is most impressive, Sasuke-kun. It seems this trip was not a waste after all."

Sasuke could feel the difference now that the battle had stopped for a moment. He felt elated; he had waited years for this moment, tried unsuccessfully to stave off his impatience for the day he would come into his power. This was the next step to achieving everything he had dedicated his life to.

He tried to suppress the feelings, but it was impossible. He had waited too long, and now he was grinning despite the situation, despite knowing that his opponent had not shown his true skills yet and was probably still too much for him to handle.

"Now, I can truly test you," the man told him. "Now you are ready."

Sasuke braced himself and his mysterious attacker came at him again, even faster than before. He performed flawless combinations, threw weapons with pinpoint accuracy almost too fast for the Uchiha to dodge even with his newfound power. Now, however, he could attempt to counter the man's moves. He struck back until the man retreated for a moment.

As he moved, however, Sasuke had not been idle. His shuriken forced the man to dodge and then curved around him, tethering him to the tree that had stood at his back. "Dragon fire technique!" Sasuke called, breathing a streak of hot flame at the man.

The man was trapped there and screamed horribly as he was scorched. After a few moments, Sasuke let the technique die, seeing that he had burned a hole clean through the man and the tree behind him…until the "corpse" collapsed into a pile of mud, revealing that he had destroyed only a replacement.

"Good, but I want more, Sasuke-kun," he heard from his left.

…

It took Naruto a bit to follow the snake's path back and then track the noise to find the battle. When he saw Sakura motionless his eyes widened in terror, but he was relieved to find a pulse once he rushed to her side. His relief was quickly washed away by his rage, however, and he charged straight at the strange man who was attacking Sasuke.

"You hurt Sakura-chan?" he screamed. "I'll kill you, you bastard!"

His attack was utterly without finesse, but it was fast and hard. When the man saw him his eyes opened in surprise, and Naruto hit him feet-first in the chest, then clawed at his face. His teammate's hands did look more clawlike, Sasuke noted with surprise and alarm. More concerning was the red chakra that seemed to be boiling from Naruto's body and surrounding him in a faint aura that Sasuke's new eyes could see.

Naruto kept going, clawing and screaming incoherently, kicking and punching. Without the element of surprise, however, it seemed like even his new power wasn't enough, whatever it was. The man continued dodging, eyes looking over the ninja in front of him speculatively.

"So, the nine-tails' brat and the last Uchiha on the same team? Seems a bit risky, Sarutobi-sensei," he said to himself in an almost mournful tone. "You're getting sloppy in your old age."

Finally, he seemed to tire of dodging, and he quickly struck Naruto in the throat, sending him staggering backward. As Naruto coughed for a few moments, the man's tongue extended to become gruesomely long, trapping Naruto's limbs and lifting him off his feet. He pulled up Naruto's shirt and seemed to consider what he saw there; a strange spiral-shaped seal. Sasuke could guess what it was, but had no idea how it worked. This man, though, seemed to need only a moment to think it over before striking wordlessly with one hand. As soon as he did so, the red chakra around Naruto seemed to die away and his eyes, which had turned feral and resembled an animal's, returned to normal. Sasuke also noticed his fingernails shortening from their clawlike proportions and the whisker-like markings on his face becoming faint once more.

"Well, now that that distraction is out of the way," the man said, once more giving Sasuke his full attention, "I'd like to finish my evaluation."

Sasuke hated it. He was holding his own now, as the fight resumed, but it was plain that the man was holding back, slowly increasing his skill to test Sasuke's limits. Sakura was down, unconscious and in danger of being destroyed as collateral damage, and the same was true of Naruto – at best. He didn't know what the man had done to contain that red chakra, but for him to do it so easily was yet another sign of his immense power.

The fight seemed to go on and on, with the man determined to push Sasuke's limits further and further. He knew he couldn't win, but it seemed likely that if he performed well enough the man would let him live, at least in the short-term. Sasuke could feel himself beginning to run out of energy, and there was no end to the battle in sight.

…

Sakura woke up dazed and disoriented. It took her a moment to realize that the loud sounds nearby were a battle, and longer to focus on that and remember what had been happening when she had been knocked out. She blinked furiously and levered herself to her feet, clinging to a tree for support as she stood shakily.

She moved cautiously toward the sounds of fighting. She didn't know what she could possibly contribute, but it didn't occur to her to do anything other than see what was going on. A stab of worry shot through her when she saw Naruto, eyes closed, lying on the ground nearby. As she stumbled over she could see clearly that he was still breathing, which dulled her concern. He didn't even seem to have any major visible wounds, which was a relief. She tried unsuccessfully to wake him, giving up after a few moments; she didn't have time to waste.

She dragged him behind a tree, knowing that wasn't much cover, and moved to where she could see the battle. She was walking more steadily now, and managed to get up the nearest tree for a better vantage point. What she saw stopped her heart.

The strange man, half his face seemingly burned off but a paler one apparent beneath the tatters, facing Sasuke. Her teammate looked beaten. Dead on his feet. It was clearly only determination that kept him standing, stubborn refusal to acknowledge defeat, and she hated to see him looking this way. Then the man spoke.

"Well, I think that's enough," he said. "We're done here."

In that moment, Sakura was certain that he was about to kill Sasuke and take him away forever. She gathered all of her chakra to her feet in desperation, unable to think of tactics or strategies but determined to get there in time and do something. Anything.

The man's hands seemed to form a strange seal, and his neck grew long, face closing in on Sasuke as his mouth opened to reveal a pair of fangs that grew longer as she watched.

She leapt.

…

Orochimaru's neck extended unnaturally, closing the distance. He smiled in anticipation, pleased to have found a worthy vessel at last, one that would give him the power he had sought; perhaps even enough to destroy that cursed Itachi. That act would be poetic, and he looked forward to it a great deal. Using the eyes of Itachi's brother to destroy him would be satisfying.

He always savored the hot blood when he granted someone a cursed seal this way. He didn't do it all that often, and there was something special about the act to him, something precious about marking his future home.

At the last moment, he closed his eyes and bit down, tasting flesh and what lay beneath.

He heard a girl's scream, and opened his eyes.

…

The pain was her entire world. For a moment, Sakura was completely unaware of anything else, the sensation was so overpowering. She only managed to last a few seconds after it started, before unconsciousness claimed her.

…

Sasuke was trying not to give in to despair as he saw the freak's neck extend, but he simply had nothing left to give. For a brief moment, he begged the universe for another chance, promised it anything if only he could live. Not for himself; Sasuke was willing to die. He begged for life to accomplish his purpose. It was all he had, all he had allowed himself to have for years, and the thought of failing now, when he was closer than ever before to being a match for his brother, was nearly incomprehensible.

He was shocked when he saw a pink-haired form rushing between him and his enemy at the last second. Sakura tackled him off the tree branch where he stood, and her eyes went wide as she screamed in sudden pain. As they fell, he saw her throw something out of the corner of his eye, and then she had him in a deathgrip as she turned so that she was beneath him, holding him so tightly that it hurt.

A moment after they began to fall there was an explosion, and he realized what she must have thrown. He tried to do something to control their descent, but he had no time and no leverage, and they hit the ground hard.

He wasn't sure how long it took before he was able to summon the strength to move again. Sasuke pried Sakura's arms loose and gently took his weight off of her, then tried to tally their injuries. He had no major ones, miraculously. The opponent hadn't wanted to cause him serious harm, and Sakura had shielded him from the worst of the impact when they fell. He was sore everywhere, but nothing was broken except two fingers, and those were relatively easy to bandage.

Sakura was in worse shape. While she was less bruised and battered, the strange mark on her arm was frightening; he had no idea what it meant. Seals could be used for all sorts of purposes. Given the source, it was unlikely to be a good thing, although at least it wasn't bleeding much. Other than that, she seemed to have two injured ribs, although he wasn't sure if they were cracked or bruised. He wrapped them carefully and looked around.

The fact that the strange man had not pursued them was too much of a relief for him to waste energy on being confused. Sasuke took a minute to get his bearings and then carefully picked up Sakura and went looking for Naruto.

…

Orochimaru was preoccupied by the arrival of Mitarashi Anko, who heard the explosion and followed it. The falling genin were obscured by the explosion, and by the fact that she only had eyes for their attacker.

After all these years, Orochimaru. She had been waiting for the bastard, knowing he would rear his ugly head again someday. Hoping she'd get to cut it off herself. She wasted no time, immediately trying to kill him with needles coated in poison. He dodged and began to sink into the ground.

"Shadow Snake Hands!" she yelled, and four snakes erupted from her sleeve to grab him, pulling him out before he could disappear and throwing him over her shoulder.

"Should you really be using the forbidden techniques I taught you, Anko?" he asked her calmly. "Or perhaps it is your way of thanking me for my years of instruction."

She whirled to face him, lunging forward and using her shoulder to pin him against a tree while she clutched his right hand in her left and pinned them both there with a knife. "I'm willing to do it one last time," she answered as she grabbed his left hand. "A last time for both of us, Orochimaru. It's almost nostalgic to be working a technique together again, wouldn't you say?"

As she spoke, she used his captured hand and her own to form a seal.

"Thanks for everything you taught me, Orochimaru-sensei," she said with a mocking smile.

The sound of his laughter behind her was ice in her veins. She spun frantically as the clone she had been about to destroy – with herself as the price – melted into a puddle of oozing mud.

"Oh, Anko, dear Anko, I had thought your sense of humor lost forever," he told her as she faced him. "I'm relieved to see that it is still intact after all."

"Why are you here, bastard!" she spat. "What could possibly make you come back?"

"What if I said I came to visit an old student?" he asked her. "Would you be pleased? And if I came for some other purpose, would you be jealous?"

She said nothing, only glaring at him with hate-filled eyes.

He laughed again. "Oh, fine, if you insist. As it happens, I came to investigate. There's a boy here who interests me. I was going to give him a little present, like yours," his eyes went to her neck. "Unfortunately, a jealous girl got in the way…come to think of it, she reminds me of you, Anko," he smiled at her. "But it doesn't matter. Either she'll die, or she'll become more interesting. And I can always arrange a suitable gift for the boy later, after all."

"They'll die," she said bitterly. "Most people don't get a chance to enjoy your 'little presents.'"

"We'll see," he replied. "And now, I believe I hear some charming ANBU fellows coming and I really must be on my way. Say hello to Sarutobi-sensei for me, will you? He doesn't rest enough. Oh, and don't stop the exam, Anko. If you do, I'm afraid a lot of people in the village will pay the price."

Anko tried to stop him, but he was gone before her reinforcements arrived.

…

When asked later how he had gotten both his teammates away from the site of their encounter with Orochimaru with only one pair of hands, Uchiha Sasuke honestly could not recall the answer. Soon after he found Naruto, the only conscious member of Team 7 managed to get both of his teammates to a relatively safe location. The hollow under one of the forest's massive trees was a reasonable compromise; fairly inconspicuous and defensible, and not too close to the battle site.

Sasuke was more worried about his teammates than he had ever been before, except perhaps during their most recent fight. Naruto was snoring quietly and appeared relatively unharmed, but he wouldn't wake up. Sasuke was almost desperate enough to stab the boy just for a reaction, and getting more so the longer he was forced to stay awake.

Sakura, on the other hand, was running an extremely high fever. He was trying to cool her forehead with wet cloths, but that was about the best he could do. The only good news he could think of was that the man had apparently wanted to use the seal on him and had seemed to want him alive; that suggested it was unlikely to be fatal. He felt less confident about that when she started whimpering in pain, but she wouldn't wake either.

For a moment, Sasuke had considered trying to quit the exam, but there were several problems with that. First, he had no way of contacting anyone in authority without reaching either the tower or the edge of the forest. The two were about equidistant now, and he certainly could not carry both teammates to either destination. Second, he was fairly certain the examiner had said quitting was not allowed; they might make an exception under the circumstances, but there was no way to know in advance. Third…well, he didn't want to give up after coming this far. He thought his teammates wouldn't either; they had both wanted to take the test, after all.

After a few hours, he couldn't think at all clearly anymore. After five, it was almost impossible to stay awake any longer. When it had been six hours, he actually resorted to cutting his own hand at one point, so the pain and adrenaline would help him stay awake. It was a shallow cut, so there was no risk of serious damage, and he had it bandaged in short order.

After he had been on watch for a bit over seven hours, someone found them.

The three Sound ninjas jumped down from a nearby tree and he reflexively threw a kunai at one of them as he turned, but it was a weak throw and off target.

In front stood a man with a mostly-covered face; cloth wrappings concealed everything except his eyes. His arms were hidden underneath a huge fur cloak. On Sasuke's right stood a young woman with dark hair, and behind them both sat the third with an arrogant-looking expression on his face. Sasuke noted tubes sticking out of the man's palms.

"So, Uchiha Sasuke," the bandaged man spoke. "You seem tired. Is this a bad time?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he stood. "You're looking for me specifically? Why, working for that snake bastard?"

They all seemed a bit surprised at that, and exchanged a few looks.

"Maybe," the first one spoke again, "but it doesn't really matter why we're here for you, does it? Either way, the effect on you is the same."

…

Sakura woke as if she was stumbling out of a mist. She rubbed her eyes to clear them and stumbled to her feet, beginning to look around. She felt strange, as if her mind was clouded but all her movements were easy, somehow.

Her slow return to consciousness was suddenly accelerated when she heard the sounds of fighting. She exited the small hollow, noting that Naruto seemed to be sleeping through the noise placidly.

When she got outside, what she saw enraged her.

Sasuke was on the ground, with a number of cuts and bruises that looked fresh, in addition to the older ones. He held a kunai in one hand, but that hand was trembling with fatigue. He clearly was in no shape to fight even one opponent, let alone the three he faced.

She saw the trio of Sound ninjas and her vision turned red when she realized that they were toying with him.

"So, this is all the Uchiha bloodline is worth?" the dark-haired woman said in disgust. "This is a waste of our time. We should just kill this bastard, slit his teammates' throats and move on."

"Moving on is one thing, Kin," the one with his face covered responded. "But if we kill someone Orochimaru-sama is interested in, we won't last a week."

"Whatever," she replied. "Then knock him out already, Dosu. This is boring."

The one with the bandages – Dosu – suddenly turned toward Sakura. "The girl is awake," he said to his teammates.

"I'll play with her," the third ninja said, speaking at last. "She looks fun, and I've been letting you two have the Uchiha, after all."

"Fine," Kin answered him. "Just don't waste time, Zaku, we've got work to do. They might not even have the right scroll."

Dosu, however, was looking at Sakura in alarm. "Something's wrong – can't you two feel it? Her chakra is strange."

Sakura was trembling with rage, her eyes fixed on Sasuke as he half-stood, one knee on the ground. He barely seemed aware of his surroundings.

"Don't be a coward, Dosu," the other man said. "The girl's shaking with fear. You deal with Sasuke there, and I'll get rid of her."

Suddenly Sakura's eyes snapped to the bandaged Dosu and her shaking stopped. "You will never touch him again," she said quietly. "He's _mine._"

The three were caught totally flat-footed when she moved, even Dosu. She was so fast she seemed to vanish, and then suddenly she was standing next to him, kicking him in the ribs with more force than he thought possible; he felt one give way under her foot. She followed up with a strike to the side of his knee and there was a sickening sound as he fell to the ground, clutching at it and screaming.

Kin was throwing needles at the pink-haired girl but she vanished again, striking the Sound ninja in the head and sending her flying backward into a tree. She hit shoulder-first and there was a popping sound as the joint was dislocated, along with a gasp of pain.

"Air cutter!" Zaku yelled, turning his hands toward her. With both of his teammates clear of her position he let loose with the full force of both hands, blasting with waves of air conducting sound, but she dodged to one side. He continued his assault, alternating hands to try to keep up with her, but she somehow managed to dodge every attack.

After the first few strikes her eyes narrowed and she began a sequence of seals that he recognized. Zaku attacked anyway, destroying the log the she left there by executing the substitution technique with one hand as he turned his other to attack her new position, above him and to the left. Her movements were still surprisingly fast, but the element of surprise had worn off now, and he would not be caught as easily as his two teammates.

He continued to blast away as he saw Sakura execute the substitution technique two more times, and then Zaku ducked to one side, following a subconscious instinct. With the genjutsu deceiving his eyes he barely noticed the blow coming at the last second. If her substitution technique hadn't displaced a rush of air, he would have died, but the brief warning was enough for him to avoid taking a fatal hit to his vital organs; instead he received a glancing slash to his side, along his ribs.

Sakura didn't let him get away, however; she grabbed his right wrist and jerked the arm behind his back and up, sending pain shooting through it. He tried to attack her with his other hand, but she just used her grip to swing him around in a circle and throw him into a thorny bush. He felt the small thorns biting into his back and tried to stay focused on his opponent, but she was already close again, seizing his left hand and holding it out as she held her kunai to his throat.

"Your arms are very interesting," she said conversationally. "Some kind of mechanism that allows you to focus chakra and control air and sound, I'd say. Fascinating, and definitely not the sort of work a genin could do. Your teammate mentioned someone named Orochimaru – did he give you these arms? Did he order you to hurt Sasuke-kun?" her voice grew harder and Zaku could feel the kunai press harder against his throat, almost breaking the skin. "I think you need a lesson to help you understand why you shouldn't do that," she said.

He screamed when she cut off his hand, and she let him continue for a few moments, then grabbed the other.

"No wait! Please!" he began babbling incoherently, begging in disjointed phrases for her to stop.

She savored his terror for a moment, and was about to take his other hand when she was interrupted.

"Let him go, Leaf ninja!" Dosu's voice came from behind her. "Or your teammate dies, do you understand?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed again and she turned to face him, holding Zaku in front of her and keeping her kunai at his throat. She radiated pure murder as she looked Dosu in the eyes, and it was all he could do not to flinch.

"How do I know you won't kill him if I release your teammate?" Sakura asked.

"I don't want to kill him," Dosu told her. "It will cause trouble with our boss. But his anger won't matter to me unless I get out of this forest alive, so my threat is a genuine one. We can make a deal here: I'll release your teammate, you release mine, and we don't go anywhere near each other until we're out of the forest. I think that's reasonable for both of us, don't you?"

"I think not," Sakura said angrily. "If you hurt him you're all dead, and you know it. I think you should give me something else in exchange for your lives as well." In truth, she just didn't want to let them go. She wanted to paint the clearing with their blood, and only Sasuke's life kept her from doing just that.

"Lives for lives," Dosu answered. "It's not unreasonable."

They stood in silence for a few moments, considering each other while Zaku whimpered, cradling his stump. Sasuke was still conscious somehow, but couldn't move from exhaustion, and Kin was recovering after popping her arm back into its socket.

The stalemate was broken when a green blur leapt in from the side, kicking Dosu away from his hostage. Kin moved to engage the newcomer, but he was fast, sweeping her legs and then kicking at her face. She rolled back after the first blow, narrowly evading the second.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked angrily.

The young man stood straight, one hand extended outward toward his opponents. His eyebrows were unusually thick and his hair was a distinctive bowl-cut. Sakura remembered seeing him during the first exam, but was still a bit taken aback by the combination of his strange appearance and apparent speed in battle.

"The Leaf Village's Youthful Green Beast, Rock Lee!" he proclaimed proudly. "For three ninjas to gang up on a single opponent in this fashion is most unpleasant, especially one of such beauty and grace!"

Everyone else in the small clearing had some trouble processing that.

"Her?" Kin yelled, gesturing at Sakura in apparent disbelief. "She nearly killed us all, and you're leaping to her defense? Are you insane?"

Even Sakura's murderous rage was subsiding a bit under a sense of profound confusion.

"Your name is Sakura-san, is it not?" Lee said to her, turning his head but keeping his body oriented toward the two Sound ninjas. "I am awed by your loveliness, and surely will appear whenever you are in need!"

Sakura just…could not think of an appropriate reply, under the circumstances. It was like she had wandered into another world where nothing made sense.

Dosu and Kin had similar feelings, but Dosu's fear of Sakura and panic at losing his hostage broke through and he recovered faster than anyone else, making a limping leap toward the newcomer and swinging his right arm, which had a strange device on it that emitted a high-pitched sound as he closed in.

Lee slid backwards, easily dodging the blow, and kicked him in the chest hard. A moment later, however, he stumbled, dropping to one knee for a moment. When he rose again, his footing seemed a bit uneven.

Kin took advantage of the distraction to lunge for Sasuke. She was convinced, just like Dosu, that only the threat of ending his life would allow them to get out of this situation alive.

That snapped Sakura out of her momentary lapse of focus immediately. She focused her chakra to her feet and kicked off of Zaku, sending him backward and propelling herself toward Sasuke at the same time. She and Kin arrived almost simultaneously and Sakura kicked the woman in the side, feeling the arm Kin interposed break, then threw her to the ground. She grabbed the woman's hair and looked at Dosu, who was the only Sound ninja still appearing combat-ready, even if he could no longer move quickly.

"You had your chance," she told him. "Now you're all dead."

She was just about to cut Kin's throat when Sasuke's hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Wait, Sakura," he said weakly. "It's enough. You've beaten them."

She looked at him and felt her rage rising again. "They hurt you."

His grip on her wrist tightened. "Sakura, you've won. It's alright. Let them go."

She felt the warring desires in her heart, and for a moment was frozen in indecision. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped her kunai, but her eyes strayed to Sasuke's hand on her wrist.

"Our scroll," Dosu said, breaking the silence. "You said you should receive something in exchange for our lives. We'll give you our scroll in exchange for letting us go. Ours is a scroll of Earth. If you can't use it, then you might be able to trade it…how about that?"

Sasuke nodded at her, and she acquiesced. "Fine," Sakura said after a moment, turning to look Dosu in the eyes. "But if you ever come near Sasuke-kun again I'll kill you all. You understand?"

"I understand," he said sincerely. "Here." He removed the scroll, limped forward a few paces and placed it on the ground before turning to gather his teammates. He kept watching Sakura in his peripheral vision, but refrained from looking directly at her as he gathered them and left.

Sakura helped Sasuke to the shelter of the hollow where she had woken up to find Naruto still sleeping, then turned to the interloper who had saved him.

"I know who you are now, but…I don't understand," she said. "Why did you help us?"

"We are all Leaf ninjas," Rock Lee said, "and I believe my sensei would have wanted me to step in. But beyond that…as I said before. You are most beautiful, Sakura-san, and if you call me I will come to your aid. Perhaps you would go out with me after the exam?" he asked. His face was perfectly serious.

_This is…the least subtle person I have ever met,_ she thought to herself. _I thought Naruto was but…wow._ At the same time, she blushed slightly; no one had ever been quite so openly complimentary and chivalrous toward her before. It certainly hadn't happened within moments of meeting each other, anyway. She found herself uncertain how to reconcile that with her opinion of his appearance, which was not her type, to say the least.

"Ah…well, thank you Lee-san," she said. "For helping us, I mean. And as for your question, well…you've been very kind, but I love Sasuke-kun," she answered, gesturing toward where her teammate lay. That seemed like the best compromise between discouraging him and being kind.

Lee nodded solemnly. "Ah, then you were fighting in defense of your heart. No wonder you were able to do so well against three strong opponents, Sakura-san. I am sorry to hear you love another, but I will still come if you call, as my heart demands no less."

She was a bit nonplussed, but couldn't quite find anything to take issue with in his words. "I…see. Well, you're very, um…flattering, Lee-san and I hope your team will do well in the exam." Her brow furrowed for a moment. "How did you find us anyway?"

"Why, I was scouting the woods for an enemy team when I heard the sounds of battle, and found you youthfully defending your teammates from those three opportunists!" Lee replied. "I was so moved by your plight and determination that I could not stand aside when they resorted to threatening your teammate."

"Oh," she answered. After looking at him for a moment, she spoke again. "Which scroll does your team need, Lee-san?"

"We were given the Earth scroll, Sakura-san," he answered without hesitation.

She smiled. "Well, in that case, I think I have a chance to repay you for your assistance. Wait here for a moment, please."

Lee started to refuse when she gave him their spare Heaven scroll, but turned effusive once she explained that they had another.

"Truly your team must be most skilled, Sakura-san, to defeat so many opponents so quickly!" he exclaimed. "I shall have to train even harder to meet your high example and become worthy of your affections!"

It took a bit to cut through his gratitude and general air of enthusiasm, but Sakura eventually managed to send him on his way without being rude, mainly by suggesting that he should hurry to tell his team the good news.

Afterward, she went back to her teammates.

"Sasuke-kun?"

It took him a moment to respond; it seemed he had been on the verge of falling asleep. "Sakura. Are you alright? I thought I saw that mark," he indicated a strange mark on her arm, "doing something."

"What's that?" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. "Is that-"

"That is where he bit you," Sasuke answered. "Whatever that seal is, he meant to place it on me."

"Oh," she swallowed in fear. "That might explain some things."

She looked at nothing, and Sasuke waited for a moment to see If she would say anything more. His own fatigue was returning quickly, however, prompting him to speak.

"You were acting strangely," Sasuke told her. "I've never seen you like that before, and there was something odd about your chakra as well. If I had enough energy to use my Sharingan, I might have been able to get a better look, but that will have to wait for now," he grimaced. "I doubt I could fight off Tora."

"You need rest," Sakura said quietly, looking up and meeting his eyes again. She pushed her fears aside and looked over at Naruto for a moment. "How long has it been since the fight with the snake freak?"

"At least eight hours now, I'd say," Sasuke told her.

"You haven't slept, have you?"

"You and Naruto were unconscious," Sasuke answered a bit defensively. "You have that seal, and he did something else to Naruto, I think, though I'm not sure what. He hit him in the stomach; it shouldn't be keeping him out this long. I'm concerned it might have something to do with Naruto's guest. That could be bad for all of us."

Sakura nodded. "Still, we can't move effectively with two of us weakened. Let's relocate away from here, then you rest for a while. We'll just have to hope Naruto comes out of it on his own for now."

…

"I bet we're some of the first ones here," Kiba said to the other five genin as they walked into the tower on the morning of the third day. "We kicked ass, even if we did slow down to avoid trouble yesterday."

"I still can't believe we got that lucky," Ino commented. "I mean yes, it was stupid for the Rain team to pursue us, but the fact that they had the Heaven scroll we needed? Hard to believe our luck."

"I wonder when the third exam will happen," Chouji said aloud. "I mean the second started right after the first, but for this one people are arriving at different times. If the third exam starts at the end of the five days, then we'll have an edge over everyone who's less rested."

Hinata looked into the forest behind her just before the doors closed, wondering how one particular genin was doing.

"That's a good point, Chouji," Shikamaru told his friend. "We should make sure we take the time to rest and make the most of it, if we get the chance."

"Indeed," Aburame Shino agreed. "For now, however, it appears our teams must separate again. I wish you all luck," he said to Team 10, "and if we have the opportunity in the future, I would be happy to collaborate once more. It was most effective."

The others exchanged similar words and the two teams were about to part when they sensed a presence further inside the tower. They turned to look as one and drew closer together when they saw three Sand ninja, led by a boy with a gourd and dark circles under his eyes.

Gaara of the Sand looked over the six Leaf genin and saw no one who interested him. He turned and walked back to his room.

The six genin from the Leaf stayed together until they were certain he was gone.

"We should warn Team 7, if we get a chance," Shikamaru said quietly to Shino. "That one's dangerous."

Shino nodded in quiet agreement.

…

Sasuke awoke halfway through the third day and looked far better than he had when he went to sleep, despite the dirt and bandages. He insisted on letting Sakura sleep for at least a few hours, finally promising to wake her at the first sign of trouble in order to convince her to rest.

He was extremely glad when no one disturbed them. Naruto eventually woke up after dark that day, and nearly gave away their position with his attempt to locate the enemy, but Sasuke was able to calm him in time. The noise was enough to wake Sakura, however, and the three finally had a chance to compare notes and fill in the missing gaps for each other; Naruto was shocked and apologized to his teammates when he realized that he had been asleep while their lives were in danger.

At Sakura's request, Sasuke downplayed her extreme actions in the fight with the Sound ninjas. She felt ashamed that she had been acting in such a sadistic fashion, enjoying Zaku's pain and helplessness as she cut off his hand, and wanted no one to know about it if she could avoid telling them. Sasuke had agreed to her request for now, but made her promise that she would tell someone the whole story once they got out of the forest; at least Kakashi-sensei.

When his two teammates asked Naruto if he remembered anything after the snake-freak had struck him, he was quiet for a few moments.

"Hate," he said finally. "I remember hate. And something orange and red. I think the fox was talking to me, maybe asking me to let it out."

Neither of them had a good answer to that. They eventually managed to get some rest, however, and were ready to move by noon on the fourth day. They spent most of the afternoon and evening recovering and ate to replenish their energy, then started off that night.

"Well, we've got both scrolls," Naruto said optimistically. "All we have to do now is get to the tower, and we've only got about a third of the distance left."

"That last third is where everyone will probably have set traps," Sasuke answered him. "Whether they have one scroll or none, everyone will realize that this is their last chance, and the tower is the only place they're guaranteed to find what they need."

"There's not much we can do about that," Sakura said. "We've got a day. I think resting was the right call, but we can't even move too slowly, so it will be hard to avoid getting spotted."

"Agreed," Sasuke said, "but I have an idea. Naruto, how are your chakra reserves?"

"Fine," Naruto answered him. "I mean, I was out for a while but I wasn't fighting, so I should have plenty of energy."

"Excellent," Sasuke said. "I suggest that if we get attacked, Naruto creates a mob of clones to distract the enemy and we keep moving. At this point, we gain nothing from fighting, so avoiding them if possible would be ideal."

"That's a good idea," Sakura said thoughtfully, "especially since Naruto's more rested than us. And he has more chakra reserves anyway. Think you can do it?" she asked her other teammate.

"No problem," he said, grinning confidently. "You guys took care of things before, but now it's my turn."

With that, they set off.

They had covered about half the distance when Sakura noticed something was wrong. She didn't notice at first, and time began to drag on, the sun moving across the sky. After a while she realized they were trapped within a subtle illusion that was sending them in circles, and began trying to spot the enemy.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you think the third exam will be like?" she asked.

"Why would I know," he said in a slightly confused and surprised tone.

"Well, sometimes you just _see_ more clearly than the rest of us," she said, catching his eye. "But I guess if you haven't thought about it then there's no point discussing the matter any further."

"I bet it's something crazy," Naruto said obliviously. "Like fighting Kakashi-sensei one-on-one."

Sasuke had figured out what Sakura was asking, and was trying to keep from giving any sign. He activated his Sharingan and noticed the subtle illusion that had trapped all three of them, instantly seeing the way it warped their perceptions to make them run in a circle instead of moving closer to their goal.

He refrained from reacting, however, following his teammates as he tried to look for the enemy without giving himself away.

_In the center,_ he signed to his teammates once he could do so without being seen. _Twenty meters left, by that crooked tree. Three of them. One in the ground, one in the tree, one in the bush next to it. I'll attack first._

Naruto was puzzled at first, but he trusted his teammates. He agreed quickly enough, and Sakura signed her own readiness.

Abruptly, Team 7 changed direction. Led by Sasuke, they dispelled the illusion that had affected them, and attacked.

"Fire flower technique," Sasuke cried, breathing several small jets of flame at the three enemies. The technique was less destructive than his grand fireball, but also consumed less chakra.

"Shadow clone technique!" Naruto yelled as he flew through the air. He was surprised at how much effort it took to create only five clones, and felt noticeably drained. There was no time to reflect on that though as he rapidly approached his target, who had leapt out of his perch in the tree to avoid Sasuke's flame.

The three Leaf genin were surprised to see the same Rain ninja they had faced earlier in the exam, but it did give them a certain confidence. They had beaten this team once before, and managed to detect their genjutsu trap as well.

Sakura was going for the one in the bush, throwing a handful of shuriken at him. The man dodged and she closed the gap, striking high. He ducked under her punches and slashed at her body, but she stepped back, easily avoiding his strike. Her lips curled into a feral smile and she felt powerful as he seemed to slow down slightly. Her next blow to his face connected, breaking his nose and sending him flying backward. Her smile died, however, when she saw that strange marks seemed to be flowing up her arm from the place where she had been bitten. Her smug satisfaction disappeared and the sweat of effort turned cold with fear. When her opponent came back at her she nearly failed to dodge in time, she was so distracted. Fortunately, Naruto dropped down from above and knocked out the ninja before he could take further advantage of her lapse.

When she looked up, she saw that her teammates had dispatched the other two enemies as well.

She looked down at her arm again, and saw the marks receding once more, but the sight did not make her feel much better.

"Guys," she said hesitantly. "I think I need some help."

Sasuke was looking at her and frowning, the Sharingan prominent in his eyes. "I'm sure you do," he said. "The thing is doing something to your internal chakra network. We need to get rid of it."

Naruto refrained from mentioning his own difficulties for the moment. "Then let's get moving. We're so close to the tower now, I'm sure we can get some help for you there, Sakura-chan."

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Report: Recent developments in Hidden Village of Sand (Summary)

Multiple low-value intelligence assets in the Wind Country have indicated that recent troop movements have focused the Sand Village's power to the Northwest portion of their territory in order to coordinate a search for one or more prominent missing-nin. In order to adjust for that commitment, smaller shifts have taken place in the country's interior regions and along the borders.

The assets in question do not have deep insight into Sand operations, and are largely dependent on rumors among low-level government personnel, thus making their information doubtful. Assets Z and H are attempting to investigate these reports, but have yet to provide any confirmation either way.

A single report suggests that one of the Kazekage's close associates may have left the Sand Village for unclear reasons; if the rumors of missing-nin are true, he may have been sent to coordinate the search personally. Alternatively, the two facts may be unconnected, or the search may be a ruse to distract from his true activities.

Sand ninjas have been stepping up efforts to crack down on missing-nin picking up contracts near them for some time; it seems likely this is due to the decreasing number of contracts they are receiving from government and government-affiliated sources. The search for their missing-nin may be the result of leads turned up during those efforts.

Currently, estimates of the Sand Village's military readiness are higher than they have been for some time. If hostilities were to commence, they would be in a position to react – or act – quickly. Given our numerical superiority, Sand would have to seize the initiative in order to win in any conflict against us. A sufficiently strong first strike might be enough to convince others to join their side in the hopes of eliminating the Leaf for good. Any conflict of attrition, on the other hand, would favor us. Recommend increasing vigilance along the border at this time and watching Wind Country citizens more closely.


	9. Friends, Foes, and Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

All three members of Team 7 were a bit surprised when using the two scrolls together caused Umino Iruka to appear.

"Well, I'm glad to see the three of you passed the second exam," he greeted them cheerfully.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed with surprised happiness. "It's good to see you!

"I see now," Sasuke commented, "together they form a summoning technique."

"Hi, Iruka-sensei," Sakura greeted him.

"You look like you had a tough time of it," the chuunin commented, looking them over. He didn't see the cursed seal mark; Sakura was covering it. "Someone meets each team when they reach the tower, and I was selected to be the one who met you. I don't know the specifics, obviously, but these exams are always hard work. All three of you should be proud of what you've done to get this far."

The three exchanged looks, trying to decide if this was the time to begin reporting on their experiences. Before any of them could make the decision, however, Iruka began speaking again.

"It looks like there's not much time left," he said, checking his watch, "so it's a good thing you three didn't slack off. If we had time, I'd buy you all a bowl of ramen to celebrate your success," he said, smiling at Naruto, "but I'm afraid we need to get moving-"

Naruto's hug – which was almost a tackle – cut him off in midsentence.

"I knew we'd do it!" Naruto said, laughing. "Sakura, Sasuke, we pulled it off! We're the best!"

Despite the circumstances, Sakura couldn't help smiling. Even Sasuke felt his lip turning up slightly, and couldn't help feel some of the tension leave him at his teammate's cheerfulness.

After all, they had passed; that was good reason to be glad. Given the circumstances, Team 7 probably had more right to be pleased with themselves than any of the others, when you thought about it.

"So out of curiosity, Iruka-sensei, what would have happened if we opened one or both of the scrolls outside the tower?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, the test is meant partly to measure your reliability and ability to follow orders," Iruka-sensei replied. "If you had done that, you would have been knocked unconscious and failed the exam immediately."

Sasuke nodded, but Naruto was barely paying attention.

"We passed! We passed!" he laughed. "We're totally going to be chuunin!"

"The other reason I'm here," Iruka said, gathering their attention again, "is to explain that," he pointed to the wall. "The motto of the chuunin, written by the Hokage. It says that if you lack Heaven, you should seek wisdom, and if you lack Earth you should run in the fields. The meaning is that a chuunin must always be trying to improve his or her skills, whether mental or physical. Finally the third part, which tells you to seek challenges, simply means that we only improve if we train hard and test ourselves. Easy training doesn't make you stronger," Iruka finished.

"A chuunin is eligible to be put in command of a squad," he elaborated, "and must have both a quick mind and a strong body to do that. If you are slowing your team down, you're a burden instead of a leader. On the other hand, being a capable fighter is not enough; leaders must decide when to fight and when not to. For a genin, a soldier, being able to fight is enough, although we encourage more. For a chuunin, the combination of mental and physical ability is essential."

His voice turned more serious, abandoning his typical lecturing tone from the academy. "I suggest you keep this in mind in the near future. The chuunin exams are not over, and they won't be getting easier."

"There's one more thing I want to say, before I take you to the site of the next stage of the exams," Iruka said after a momentary pause. "When I heard that Kakashi was nominating you to participate, I was worried. There are reasons most rookies don't try the first time the opportunity comes up. But I can see now that he was right. You've only been out of the academy for a few months, but it's clear to me now that you've come a long way in that time. If you succeed and pass the rest of the test, I'll be glad to call you all fellow chuunin of the Leaf. Make yourselves proud; I already am."

Sasuke and Sakura were a bit surprised, particularly by the emphasis he had placed on all three of them. They had realized that Naruto was particularly close to Iruka-sensei, but he seemed very sincere. The man had always been a kind and effective teacher, but they had never really looked at him as a person before; now, they were forced to re-evaluate him in that light.

Naruto just stood there, his grin widening.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said after a moment. Sasuke nodded his own acknowledgment to the man.

"You'll need to follow me now," he told them, leading the way further and higher into the tower.

…

"Is your cursed seal still causing pain?" the Hokage asked.

"Less so now," Mitarashi Anko answered. "Hokage-sama, I'm extremely concerned. Orochimaru seemed to be stronger than ever, and he said he was interested in one of the exam's participants. He also indicated that he was going to give that one a seal, but he was interrupted and it ended up on a girl, instead. I have no idea how much of that we can believe. It's entirely likely that one of the participants is dying right now from the damned thing, if she's not dead already. And whoever Orochimaru is interested in may well be worse off, in the long run."

"We shall have to take a close look at those who reach the tower," the Hokage answered. "In the meantime, ANBU has already begun a tight sweep of the forest; they'll turn up any evidence that is there. You said Orochimaru warned against stopping the exam?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Anko confirmed. "Specifically, he said the people of the village would suffer if we did so."

"Hmm," Sarutobi Hiruzen said quietly, "I note that doesn't promise they won't suffer if we continue it. Still, the diplomatic repercussions of stopping the exam would be severe. Without more information, I don't think we can justify doing so at this stage."

"I do have a guess concerning which student he might be interested in, Hokage-sama," Anko said after a moment. "After reviewing the files we have on all the participants in the second exam, the only one who seems like he would attract Orochimaru's attention is Uchiha Sasuke."

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, I had the same thought. And he does have a female teammate who might be inclined to jump in and help him, as well."

"It seems to me," Anko continued, "that the Sharingan is extremely likely to attract Orochimaru's attention. Whenever he wasn't trying to invent his own sick new techniques," her face twisted in disgusted memory, "he wanted to learn those that already exist. The Sharingan is essentially the perfect tool for that. Other than Sasuke, I thought the two Hyuuga children seemed like the most likely candidates. Particularly Hinata, since she's from their main family and so does not have that seal of theirs," her negative opinion of that practice was obvious in her tone; it resonated too closely with her own experiences. "However, it's also possible that Hyuuga Neji might be a better candidate; he is said to have greater skill, and his seal might make him a more likely convert, in Orochimaru's estimation."

"A good analysis," the Hokage answered her. "Unless one of the candidates from another village has some quality we are unaware of, I am inclined to agree. I heard from one of the proctors that there was an irregularity concerning one of the Sand teams, by the way; could you elaborate on that?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," she answered. "The Kazekage's children broke the old record for completing the Forest by several hours. Furthermore, when they arrived they had no wounds and the youngest one – the one with the gourd – appeared to be completely unaffected by their journey. He wasn't even dirty. We've since determined, based on reports from observers, that he apparently killed three of the ninjas from the Hidden Rain Village single-handedly."

The Hokage nodded slowly. "We will have to watch those three cautiously. A kage's son, with great but unknown power could be interesting to Orochimaru. Things with the Sand have been a bit tense lately, and the loss of one of the Kazekage's children would not help matters."

"I'll arrange extra guards," Anko answered immediately.

"Yes, that would be best for now," the Hokage replied, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Unless I'm mistaken, however, the time for the next stage has come, so we should get downstairs to the combat chamber."

…

Team 7 was the second-to-last to enter the large room, followed not long after by the three Sound ninjas. They looked like they were in terrible shape but also carried themselves with pride. Dosu was limping with help from Kin, his bad knee now in some kind of brace. Zaku's stump was wrapped in a clean, professional-looking bandage and had apparently been cared for fairly well, along with the slash to his side. Kin was the best off; she seemed relatively unharmed. Her broken arm had a simple cast on it, but she was able to use both hands despite the injury.

As for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, they were dirty but looked good despite that, at least outwardly. Naruto was concerned about his prisoner and all three were worried about Sakura's seal. She had covered the bite mark on her arm and the seal that it formed with a bandage, so it was not immediately visible.

Already in the chamber were a number of teams, including Rock Lee's team and the other six Leaf rookies, who stood together. Sakura nodded and smiled slightly at Lee as he immediately noticed her entrance. The rookies were casually talking to each other, and looked like they were in some of the best shape of anyone; well-rested and relaxed. Every once in a while, however, one of them would glance carefully in the direction of the Sand ninja with the gourd on his back, who was appraising the new arrivals while his two teammates stood behind him.

In addition to those teams, there was one other from the Leaf; three older genin all wearing glasses. Two of them were also wearing veils. Lastly, a trio from the village of Waterfalls had qualified. They looked like they were still recovering from a relatively recent fight, although they were less injured than the three from Sound. _So, five teams from our village,_ Sakura counted. _One Sound, one Sand, one from Waterfall._ The Sound team gave them a wide berth despite arriving soon after them; she spared a glance and saw that Dosu was watching her warily, while Zaku glared at her with hate in his eyes.

She tried to remain impassive as she looked away. Seeing them again brought back some of the anger she had felt, and the lingering intensity of the emotion frightened her.

The newly-arrived teams lined up alongside those who were already waiting. Team 7 exchanged some greetings with their fellow rookies.

"All three of you watch out for the Sand ninja with the gourd," Shikamaru told them abruptly, his face serious. He exchanged looks with Shino and Sasuke. "There's something off about him."

Team 7 was distracted from asking further questions as Lee and his two teammates approached them.

"Sakura-san, I am glad to see you and your teammates are well," Lee greeted her. "These are my teammates, Tenten and Hyuuga Neji." The girl smiled at them, while the other boy merely gave a quick nod.

"It's good to meet you," Sakura said politely. "I'm Haruno Sakura, and my teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Tenten said with equal politeness. Her eyes seemed to linger on Naruto for a moment, but it was so brief Sakura thought she might have imagined it. "It was unexpectedly gracious of you to give Lee a scroll for his assistance, although it certainly made our lives simpler."

"He helped us out of a tight spot," Sakura replied. "We're all Leaf ninjas, so it seemed more than appropriate to return the favor."

In the meantime, Hyuuga Neji was studying Sasuke closely, and the other began to return his scrutiny. Tenten and Sakura noticed, and Tenten glanced significantly at the two, then rolled her eyes. "Does yours take himself too seriously too?" she asked, not bothering to whisper. "Because mine does." Sakura couldn't quite suppress a smile at that, but managed to restrain herself. "Maybe sometimes," she allowed. The two boys frowned at their female teammates, who laughed at them in return.

It was wonderful to laugh after the events of the last few days, and Sakura felt some of her tension and fear receding.

While that went on, Naruto and Rock Lee were getting acquainted.

"So, you're the guy who helped us out, huh?" Naruto said, cocking his head to one side to consider the unique-looking youth in front of him. "Well, thanks. I'll have to try to return the favor someday."

"No thanks are necessary," Rock Lee said enthusiastically, "though it shows your youthful spirit that you offer them. But Sakura's gift of a scroll and the joy of spending more time in her presence are already great rewards!"

"Yeah, okay," Naruto answered. "So…you like Sakura-chan too, huh?"

"Her beauty has captured my heart," Lee responded earnestly. "I take it you also seek her affection? Surely this is proof of her many virtues, that I already have a rival!"

"Um…yeah," Naruto answered. He wasn't sure what to make of this guy. He had thought that Sasuke and Sakura had been exaggerating when they described him, but apparently that wasn't the case. And while part of him was irritated that the guy had been there to save Sakura-chan and Sasuke while he was unconscious, he couldn't help being a bit grateful at the same time. Besides, Lee was just too enthusiastic to hate. The guy was completely unfazed that they both liked the same girl, seeing only something else they had in common rather than a point of contention.

"I am curious to see your skill," Lee went on. Naruto had tuned out his rambling for a minute, but now realized the boy was still speaking. "Perhaps after the chuunin exams are complete, we can train together and unlock our great youthful potential!"

"Um…sounds good?" Naruto said in confusion.

Lee's joy at the prospect of a new sparring partner was sadly left unexpressed, due to the arrival of Mitarashi Anko and the Hokage.

"Listen up, chuunin candidates!" Anko said loudly as she approached. "First off, congratulations on completing the second exam! You've all come pretty far. I was expecting we'd have less than ten people left, and here there are twenty-four of you. Unfortunately, that's a bit too many. As some of you may know, the finals are a bit of a spectacle, and there won't be time for that many participants. So, we're going to have some preliminary matches here to cut down the numbers. Now, I believe Hokage-sama wants to speak to you all."

She stepped back and the Hokage lowered his pipe, exhaling a last breath of smoke.

"Before we move forward, I will explain to you something about the nature and purpose of the chuunin exams," he began. "During the third and final exam, you will face each other in one-on-one fights. These fights will be watched by me, the Kazekage, and influential individuals from the other participating countries, possibly including the heads of your villages or nations. Wealthy merchants and other potential clients attend as well. Rather than serving as mere entertainment, the matches give people an opportunity to evaluate the strength of each village, and those assessments affect who receives contracts. That means that a good showing in the finals may provide financial gains for your village, as well as improving your chance to be promoted. Reaching the finals is necessary to become a chuunin, but victory there is not. You will be assessed based on your performance throughout the entire process of these exams, from beginning to end. Now, the proctor will move these proceedings along."

The candidates were still absorbing the Hokage's words when a Leaf ninja they didn't recognize stepped forward. "My name is Gekkou Hayate," he introduced himself, "and I will be in charge of the preliminary matches. As Anko-san indicated, there are too many of you to participate in the finals. Therefore, the chuunin exam rules which all of your nations agreed to stipulate that we will hold preliminary matches to decrease your numbers. I will referee. If I declare a winner or tell you to stop, the match is over. You may kill or disable your opponent, or convince them to give up. We will be beginning immediately, so anyone who wishes to withdraw at this point should speak up. Keep in mind that the team portion of the exam is complete."

He waited a moment. The candidates all looked at each other, but everyone who had made it this far was too determined to walk away now. Sakura managed to hide a brief grimace of pain as the mark on her arm hurt again.

"Very well, then," Hayate said. "Since there are twenty-four of you, we will have twelve matches, and the winners will move on to the finals. Matchups will be determined randomly. Everyone move to the catwalks," he gestured to stairways on either side of the room, "and wait for your name to be called. If you start anything before I give authorization, it will be an immediate disqualification. If you strike your opponent after I have called the match, you will also be disqualified."

…

"The first match participants will be Uchiha Sasuke and Kin Tsuchi," Hayate announced.

The two genin returned to the area below, facing each other. While they had been involved in a fight of sorts, neither really had personal experience with the other's abilities, nor had they seen them secondhand. They were both silent until Hayate commanded them to begin.

Sasuke immediately moved forward, trying to close the gap between them. Kin responded by retreating and throwing needles in his direction. They missed, but Sasuke noted in passing that they all seemed to have bells attached. He couldn't guess what purpose the bells might serve, and decided to try for a quick victory rather than waiting to find out.

Kin continued to throw her needles at him and evade, but he was closing the distance bit by bit. Finally, Sasuke attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks. The Sound ninja blocked the first few blows, wincing as they made contact, and then produced a pair of straight sticks from behind her back. Wielding one in each hand, she began to use a combination of sweeping strikes at his head and legs and straight thrusts at his chest and stomach. While the weapons were not sharp, they were certainly hard enough to cause damage.

Sasuke took a strike on his left shoulder and managed to trap the weapon under his arm before Kin could recover, kicking at her throat with his right leg at the same time. She released her stick to evade his kick, grimacing unhappily. Sasuke broke the wooden weapon over his knee and tossed the pieces aside, then attacked again. With only one weapon, her defense was considerably weaker, and he began landing blows with more frequency. Finally she threw the second stick at his face, causing him to dodge in surprise. As he reflexively dropped to the ground, her hands formed several seals, and then she seemed to multiply in front of his eyes.

All the different images of her charged Sasuke from several directions, but he activated his Sharingan and immediately realized that he was facing an illusion. He ignored the genjutsu, meeting her attack head-on and kicking her twice in the torso and once in the face. She seemed surprised by his lack of confusion, and anger crossed her face as her hands moved in a different set of seals.

This move triggered the bells she had placed previously, and suddenly Sasuke felt disoriented. His ears hurt and images blurred, with multiple copies of her again appearing before his eyes. This time, however, the problem was his lack of balance, and he felt light-headed as she began to walk forward.

"You can't target when you can't see clearly, no matter how good you are," Kin gloated. "Now it's the end of the line, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke sprang awkwardly to one side, hands moving in a series of seals. "I can just hit all of you at once," he answered. "Fire technique: Grand Fireball."

Kin was slow to dodge and took the blast directly on her right side. She screamed horribly as the fireball burned her, falling to one side where she rolled, frantically trying to extinguish the flames. When she finally stopped, her shirt was almost destroyed, her right arm was burned, and that side of her face looked scarcely better. The once-pretty young woman clutched at her face in agony, trembling from the pain. The cast on her arm had shielded some of her flesh from catching fire, but not enough.

"I give up," she gasped hurriedly, "Please get the medics, please."

It wasn't a pleasant sight, but Sasuke would have felt worse if she wasn't one of the trio who had considered killing him and his two teammates. She would survive, and he guessed that much of the damage could be repaired; it looked largely superficial. While painful, the wounds were not internal.

She'd never look the same again, though.

"Uchiha Sasuke wins," Hayate announced.

Once Sasuke and the injured Kin had vacated the area, he summoned the next pair. The Sound ninja was being given painkillers as the medical personnel picked up her stretcher, and she was already quieting before she was out of the room.

"Participants in the second match will be Rock Lee and Yamada Rokurou," Hayate called once the area was open again.

Lee jumped down eagerly, looking like he was in peak condition again; the time since he was hit by the Sound ninja apparently had been long enough for him to recover. His opponent was the first of the three ninjas from the hidden village of Waterfalls, and the man walked down calmly and quickly to face his opponent, his eyes analytical.

"Begin," Hayate said for the second time.

Lee wasted no time, immediately running at his opponent. The man retreated, his hands blurring in several seals; Sasuke activated his Sharingan, hoping he might learn a new trick or two by watching this match. With his own concluded, he felt little need to conserve chakra.

"Water technique: Sudden wave," the Waterfall ninja said quietly. As he completed his seals, a wall of water formed in front of him and shot toward his opponent, and he leapt backward to stand sideways on the wall, apparently seeking distance or a better vantage point.

For a moment, Lee seemed to disappear from Sasuke's vision, but the Uchiha was just barely able to track the young man's movement as he accelerated and ran around the wave and up the wall. His enemy never saw the first blow coming and was sent flying from his perch by the round kick to his face.

He recovered from that, however, hands blurring again. The two ninjas began a game of cat and mouse, with Lee chasing his enemy relentlessly, and the Waterfall ninja clearly pushing himself hard to stay ahead of his pursuer, repeatedly throwing water techniques, shuriken, and even a few kunai with explosives notes all to no effect. He only managed to slow Lee down.

"You like keeping your distance, I see," Lee said after about half a minute of that. "But I won't let you!" Suddenly he seemed to go even faster, and he was inside his opponent's guard. His movements changed from the long kicks and straight punches he had used earlier, and Sasuke realized he had switched to a different style, to his surprise. Most ninjas didn't learn a second taijutsu style so soon…perhaps he was a specialist?

His new attacks consisted largely of elbows and knees, and the tactic suddenly made sense. Against an opponent who was desperate to keep his distance, this method allowed Lee to stay at extremely close range, never giving the man a chance to use his ninjutsu.

The rest of the match didn't take long. The man was staggering backward with bruises everywhere and blood leaking from his mouth when he raised one hand. "I concede," he said loudly. He turned to Lee afterward and nodded acknowledgment. "Your speed is quite formidable, Leaf ninja. I can live with losing to you."

"You made it a most youthful and challenging contest, Yamada-san," Lee replied. "I wish you good luck in your next attempt at the chuunin exams."

His defeated opponent seemed a bit surprised at his politeness, but made no other comment, and soon the two had moved out of the way.

The next to be called were Zaku Abumi from Sound and Temari from the Sand.

As soon as they received authorization to begin, Zaku leveled his remaining hand at her. "One hand is enough for you, I think," he declared arrogantly.

Temari smirked at him. "If you don't take me seriously, you may just die," she warned him.

Zaku's face twisted in anger for a moment. "You're finished! Air cutter!"

A blast of air came out of the hole in his hand, sweeping toward Temari…then abruptly was gone.

She laughed. "You really have no idea what kind of trouble you're in," she told him. "If that's all you can do, this is going to be a short match."

"Damn you, don't take me lightly!" he yelled at her. "Air Cutter!"

This time the wind's force was greater, but Temari somehow canceled it out once again. When they could see clearly, the observers saw that she was holding a large fan, now opened, with two purple circles visible on it.

"Well? Is that it?" she taunted him. "If you're not even tough enough for me to go to full power, then it doesn't say much for the Sound ninja."

Zaku was beyond talking now; he looked like he wanted to tear her to pieces. He suddenly freed his other arm from its sling, bringing it to bear; while there was no hand on it, there was an opening identical to the one in his hand, and this time the blast of air that he let loose was twice as strong as the last.

Temari swung her fan once, and sent him flying across the room, all the way back into the wall. A third purple circle had appeared on her weapon.

When Hayate called the match, she walked back to her teammates without a scratch on her, giving no sign whatsoever that she had exerted herself. The medics came to collect Zaku and take him away.

…

"That was pretty one-sided," Sakura commented to her teammates. "I mean, she looked like she was bored. I don't see how that's possible; she was generating a significant amount of wind. It should have been a drain on her."

"It looks like the fan amplifies her techniques somehow and improves chakra efficiency," Sasuke responded. He had decided to keep watching these matches with his Sharingan as much as possible, to learn everything he could about those he might face in the finals. "Even that seems a bit too convenient, however. Most likely she is less skilled in taijutsu and other areas. If that fan were truly so powerful, I would expect more Sand ninjas to be using them, unless it's difficult to reproduce."

"The next one's starting, quiet down," Naruto said to the two of them.

Shikamaru and Tenten were called up. Neither knew anything significant about the other's abilities, although Shikamaru noted that his opponent was carrying several scrolls. Still, those could mean anything.

When they received the command to begin, Tenten retreated, throwing a pair of needles. Shikamaru dodged to his left, responding with a kunai. Tenten caught the weapon and returned it, and the two began circling and studying each other. After a few moments, Tenten smiled.

"Well, this could go on forever," she said with quiet amusement.

Shikamaru returned her smile. Neither wanted to be the first to give away their true abilities, but at the same time both knew one of them would have to at some point. After circling a few more steps, Shikamaru began throwing shuriken, increasing the number each time.

Tenten dodged a few and knocked the rest off course with thrown weapons of her own. When Shikamaru switched to a few kunai, she had no trouble keeping up, and she was quick to evade the one with the explosive note attached.

The explosion briefly obscured her view of him, however. When the smoke cleared he was closing fast, hands moving to form seals.

Surprised at the sudden change of tactics, Tenten was a bit slow to react. She drew a kunai to defend herself from the incoming attack, but none came. After a moment, Shikamaru stopped and she suddenly realized she couldn't move.

"The shadow mimic technique," Shikamaru told her. "Here, I'll show you."

He looked down at the floor between them and she found herself following suit, until she could clearly see that his shadow was stretched between them, connecting to her own.

"Now, I suggest you surrender," he told her, raising his empty hand to his throat.

Her own hand, still holding a kunai, mirrored his actions. Her eyes widened at the implication, and she swallowed.

"I give up," she said quickly.

When Shikamaru released her she quickly lowered her hand, and then looked at him as they walked back to their teams.

"That's a dirty trick," she said, looking at him expressionlessly.

He glanced at her but said nothing.

After a moment, she smiled. "Nice job," she said, turning away. She savored the small look of surprise on his face.

As they walked up the stairs, Haruno Sakura and Akado Yoroi descended them.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Naruto asked Sasuke, concern in his voice.

"That guy may be older, but Sakura's gotten tough in the last few months," he replied, thinking of the way she had recently taken a blow for him.

"That's not what I meant," Naruto answered. "That thing on her arm – from what you two told me it's serious bad news, and I think it's been hurting her this whole time." Naruto glanced over at Kakashi-sensei, standing with the other jounin instructors. "She needs help, and soon."

"I'm sure she'll be willing to go talk to Kakashi once her match is over," Sasuke told Naruto. "If he can't help, he'll know who will, and when she's fought there won't be any reason not to; it's not like he can help her cheat after the match is done. Relax, Naruto; that thing clearly isn't meant to kill her. She's been handling it fine. If you recall, she was up and moving before you were."

Naruto frowned, but returned to his silent, concerned observation.

Sasuke, feeling a bit more concerned than he had let on, focused his Sharingan on the strange seal to see if he could learn anything as Sakura fought. It had seemed mostly dormant since the fight against the Sound ninjas and the later rematch against the Rain trio, but he still felt uneasy whenever he looked at it; it seemed to possess its own chakra, and that energy had a tainted, creeping feeling to it.

He brought his attention to bear as the match began.

It started with taijutsu, as the older, veiled Leaf ninja moved to attack Sakura. He seemed to be focusing on using his hands, neglecting kicks almost entirely.

Sakura tried to keep up with him at first, but soon determined that she was outclassed. She tried to use her shuriken to gain some distance and time to think, but they proved ineffective as the man closed in on her once again. She kicked high at his head, and he blocked with one arm, then quickly grabbed her leg before she could pull back, trapping it.

Despite his face being hidden, he seemed a bit smug as he grabbed her leg with his other hand, and she suddenly felt the strength beginning to leech out of her. She punched him weakly, then gathered her strength and kicked. The blow didn't connect, but convinced him to let go of her, and she stumbled to her feet.

"What did you do?" she asked, panting. "What…"

"My personal specialty, girl," he answered. "I can drain your chakra just by touching you. Soon you'll be too weak to fight back. You might as well give up now."

She stumbled as she felt a surge of pain from her arm, but quickly straightened. "You haven't won yet," she told him.

He attacked her again, and she evaded as she tried to think of a plan. A genjutsu might work, but it was risky; he was older and more experienced, even if he wasn't a specialist in illusions. He clearly wasn't taking her seriously anymore; his speed had slowed a bit, as if he was toying with her.

He caught her with a halfhearted blow and grabbed her hair for a few moments, sucking out more of her chakra before she struck his arm and staggered away. Yoroi laughed at her, and she felt her weakness being replaced with anger.

…

Naruto, Kakashi, and Mitarashi Anko looked on in shock and horror as Sakura suddenly rose from the floor with renewed strength and turned on her opponent, her face twisted with hate. She moved faster than Naruto or Kakashi had ever seen, backhanding her opponent halfway across the room. When she paused for a moment, they could see some strange markings spreading across her body from her left arm.

Sasuke watched closely, trying to take in every detail of what was happening in front of him with his Sharingan for future reference. As the marks spread, the strange chakra he had sensed before was growing and spreading as well. It gathered into her hands as she clenched her fists and rushed forward, and then she struck her opponent as he was rising from the ground. His veil had fallen and the man was obviously dazed from the suddenness of her first attack. She hit him repeatedly in the chest and stomach, then sent him off his feet once again with an uppercut to the chin and slammed a hooking punch into his temple.

He was unconscious when he landed, and Sakura stood over him for a few moments, fists clenching and unclenching as she felt a surge of power running through her. She was just beginning to draw her left fist back again when Hayate called the match, and she seemed to awaken from whatever had just happened, the rage leaving her face slowly.

The markings receded into her arm again, and Sasuke gripped the railing tightly as the strange chakra followed suit. With his Sharingan active it was easy to see her masking a grimace of pain and stopping herself from clutching at the mark on her arm. Her knees trembled for a moment before she walked silently back to her team, not looking at anyone.

No sooner had she arrived than Kakashi appeared next to her.

"Sakura, I need to talk with you," he said immediately. "Now."

The two of them left without further word. As he watched her depart, Naruto noticed that a few of the other Leaf rookies were doing the same thing, with similarly concerned expressions. The Sound jounin seemed to glance at her for a moment before returning his attention to the battle area.

…

Sakura was frightened, now. She knew that she had been acting strangely the three times the seal had activated; more violently. She had wanted to kill her opponent just now, and she was not used to feeling bloodlust. What scared her most was that she felt powerful and right while the seal was on; it was only afterward that she could look back and see that something was strange.

She told Kakashi the whole story without any prompting, her tone the same one she used during mission reports. She was afraid that if she let her emotions out before completing her tale, she'd never conclude it.

Kakashi was silent for a few moments after she finished, taking it all in.

"Sakura," he said quietly, "I'm very proud of you."

Her head jerked up as she looked at him in shock; that was not the response she had been expecting.

"If someone had told me the three of you would face Orochimaru, I would never have entered you in the chuunin exams," he told her. "I'm relieved that you're all alive. I know you're worried about that seal on your arm, and that's reasonable, but I think I know someone who can help with that. Don't worry."

She felt a wave of relief flood into her at his words. She had been growing more and more afraid as she told her story, fearing that this might be something irreversible.

"Beyond that, I want to say something else," he told her. "It's not easy to give up your life for anyone or anything. What you did for Sasuke could easily have been fatal, and I think you realized that at the time, didn't you?"

She nodded mutely as he looked her in the eye.

"I'm glad you survived, and I wouldn't want to trade you for either of your teammates, or anyone else," he told her. "But the fact is that sometimes in our duties we are called on to die for a mission, or to defend the village. Most genin aren't really ready to do that yet. I hope you're never called on to make that sacrifice…but if you are, I want you to know that I could not possibly be prouder of you. Some people say that you aren't fully a ninja until you've killed, but I say that you aren't truly a ninja until you've knowingly chosen your death. It's one of the hardest things we are ever called on to do. You should be proud that you have the maturity to make that choice for a teammate." After a moment, he smiled. "And you should be glad you survived anyway. I certainly am."

She had nothing to say as tears began to form in her eyes, and Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Is the seal acting up right now?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. Sakura cleared her throat a few times before elaborating, trying to bring her voice under control. "So far it's only happened three times, like I told you. It seems to be fine when I'm not fighting."

He nodded. "Then I think we can watch the rest of the preliminaries with your teammates," he told her. "After that, I think the Hokage is going to want to talk to all of you, and I think he and Anko-san may need to look at your seal. Between the three of us, I'm fairly certain we can help you. For now, I think you belong with Sasuke and Naruto."

…

When the pair returned, Ino was just walking back up the stairs with a smile on her face.

"Oh, Sakura," she said confidently, "you missed my amazing victory. Too bad, you could have taken notes."

Sakura could hear the concern underlying her friend's outer façade, and smiled gratefully. "Well, I'm sure my teammates will tell me about anything important that I missed…won't you Sasuke-kun?" she asked in her sweetest voice.

"Oh, don't worry Sakura," Ino answered. "Maybe I'll be able to give you a personal demonstration during the finals, after all. If you study hard enough, you might learn something while I beat you."

"Hey Ino," Chouji broke in, trying to cut off the brewing argument, "when did you learn that hair technique, anyway? It seems pretty unusual."

"Hair technique?" Sakura asked, looking at her friend's head – which did seem to have less hair on it, now that she was paying attention. "Was your opponent so weak you had time for fashion in the middle of a fight? Maybe you just got lucky, then," she said dismissively.

"We all have to make little sacrifices for victory sometimes," the blonde girl answered. She looked like she was trying to conceal a slight blush. "As for me, well…I'm full of surprises, as always."

The conversation was ended abruptly by an enthusiastic Naruto.

"Finally my turn!" he said with a grin.

He jumped the railing, eager to begin his own match.

His opponent was the second of the three ninjas from the Waterfall team. The young woman walked down the steps wordlessly, and only nodded when Hayate asked if she was ready.

"Begin," the jounin said, stepping back.

Naruto charged in with his trademark enthusiasm, yelling a wordless battle cry.

His opponent rushed to meet him in silence, and the two clashed in a flurry of blows. Naruto ducked a kick and rolled under it, his hands already forming his favorite seal as he returned to his feet.

The girl's eyes widened slightly at the sudden appearance of four copies of her opponent. One immediately connected with a punch, removing any doubt concerning whether they were solid.

Naruto hesitated for a moment. He had been trying to create more than just four clones, and it had taken an unexpected amount of effort. He refocused on the match quickly, however, knowing that it would be foolish to give his opponent an opening, and rushed to attack once again.

She reached into the pack on her back and drew two halves of a staff, which clicked together easily. With that, she began to have much more success against Naruto and his clones, exploiting the extra reach the weapon gave her to thin their numbers and keep them at bay.

Naruto made another batch of clones, allowing her to see which one was the original, and waited until they had engaged his opponent, then used a quick substitution technique to switch places with one of the copies. Each copy was destroyed the first time it took a good hit, so he let her strike him and move on, then attacked from behind as she turned to face the other clones.

The Waterfall ninja was caught by surprise again, but used the staff to push off the floor and away from Naruto's attack, then to clear space around herself. Before he could move on to a new tactic, she threw the staff straight up in the air, her hands quickly moving to form a few seals.

She was baffled when her genjutsu couldn't anchor itself to her opponent's chakra; it felt like there was some sort of internal disturbance preventing the process. It didn't feel like the sense she normally had when someone resisted or dispelled an illusion, and the confusion slowed her enough for Naruto to take advantage of the opening in her defense, knocking her down and holding a kunai to her throat.

"The winner of the seventh match is Uzumaki Naruto," Hayate announced.

"Nice one, Naruto!" Sakura called down, and a few other rookies offered their congratulations as well. Several of the older Leaf ninjas present were more than a bit surprised; a few had heard the kid was improving, but seeing the extent of his development shocked one or two.

"How did you fight off my genjutsu?" Naruto's opponent asked curiously as he politely helped her to her feet. "No one has ever resisted my illusions that way."

Naruto didn't really understand what she meant. He had thought she was using some ninjutsu at the end, but hadn't been able to finish it in time. Although, he might have felt something odd happening with his chakra.

"I just did, I guess," he said with a grin and a shrug. After all, there was no reason to tell her he had no idea.

"Very well," she said, regarding him thoughtfully. "I suppose I cannot blame you for keeping it a secret. I likely would as well."

…

"Good job, Naruto-kun," Hinata said to him quietly as he passed Team 8.

"Oh, thanks Hinata," he answered, a bit surprised. The girl rarely spoke to him, even when they had worked together in team exercises. He had never been clear on why, although he was pretty sure she didn't have a problem with him.

Just as he was about to move on, the names for the next match were called. Naruto was distracted and didn't hear them, but Kiba stiffened and inhaled sharply and he noticed Hinata turning pale.

"Hinata," Kiba said in an urgent tone, turning to his teammate. "Don't fight Neji. Just give up."

Hinata looked frozen for a moment. Naruto was shocked to hear Kiba talking that way; the guy could be annoying, but he was no coward, and had always seemed reasonably helpful and supportive toward his teammates.

"What the hell, Kiba!" he exclaimed. "You're supposed to be her teammate. Go kick his ass, Hinata! I bet you can take him."

Naruto hadn't even fully processed who her opponent was, but he could tell from the look on her face that she needed some encouragement. He knew the feeling well; there had been a time when it seemed no one thought he could accomplish anything or amount to anything. He also knew that a few words from one person could make a big difference.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a slight smile. Her shoulders straightened visibly and she seemed almost happy as she moved down the stairs.

Kiba watched her with his face tightening, then turned back to face Naruto. "If you get my teammate hurt, I'm going to beat the crap out of you, got it?"

"What's the big deal?" Naruto asked with a frown. "What makes you so sure she'll lose?"

"Her opponent is the worst choice possible," Kiba replied, turning to watch the match. "He's a genius…and he's going to be tough on Hinata, especially."

Naruto was even more confused when he looked down and saw that the opponent facing Hinata was her relative, Hyuuga Neji.

"But aren't they family?" he asked.

Kiba just shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

Aburame Shino, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up.

"They are cousins, and her father adopted him after the death of Neji's father, but they are not friends," he informed Naruto coolly. "While I do not fully understand why, I believe he hates her."

Naruto had no good answer for that, especially when a look at the Hyuuga prodigy's face seemed to confirm the words.

…

"We may need to step in here," Yuuhi Kurenai was saying to the other instructors in a concerned tone. "I don't think they've ever been in a situation like this and tempers may run high."

"Neji has promised me that he will not allow clan matters to interfere during these exams," Gai said in his usual confident tone. Those who looked at his face, however, saw deep concern there.

The two faced each other silently for a few moments, Neji glaring and Hinata seeming to shrink into herself under his gaze.

"So we will face each other, Hinata-sama," Neji said, breaking the tense silence. "I will do my best to give you a challenge. I hope you don't find me a disappointing opponent."

Hinata's mouth tightened, but she did not respond.

"You should forfeit now, Hinata-sama," Neji told her. "We both know you don't make a good ninja. You lack the talent and the attitude to fight battles and meet a soldier's responsibilities."

She seemed to become even smaller at those words, but Neji continued on.

"Your lack of self-confidence makes you completely unsuitable, in fact," he said. "I think it likely that you will endanger your team during any serious mission."

At that, she seemed to stop for a moment, then glance toward Kiba and Naruto and collect herself. While still shaky, Hinata looked less timid. "If the way that I am is not enough, then I will become more," she said in a wavering voice.

"People don't change, Hinata-_sama_," Neji said coldly. "Neither their natures nor their fates. That is the truth of this world."

She swallowed, and her voice came out stronger when she spoke again. "Perhaps you will win, but you will still have to earn it, brother. Face me." As she finished talking she assumed a unique stance, with her hands open and one arm extended high, while the other was lower and closer to her body. Her eyes changed as she activated the Byakugan.

"If you're too foolish to back down, then I won't be responsible for what happens," he warned her, assuming a stance similar to her own. "And if you think you can hide your weakness from my eyes, you are mistaken."

"You are the one blinded by hate, brother Neji," Hinata answered.

That seemed to enrage the young man, and he moved in to attack, his hands flashing with a speed that most of the spectators had to work to follow. Hinata responded in kind, deflecting his blows and answering with her own. All of their strikes were with the palm, and both carefully parried so that the other's palm did not strike them anywhere.

"What is that style?" Naruto asked with a frown. "They're fast, but there's no variety."

"They are using chakra in their attacks somehow," Sasuke said, observing through his Sharingan. "I'm not certain exactly what they're trying to do, though. We've seen Hinata sparring, but she never went all out like this."

"The style is sometimes called the Gentle Fist," Rock Lee answered from Team 7's right. "The Hyuuga clan's unique style, unusable by anyone else. They emit chakra from their palms, and even a light touch can allow them to strike deep into the enemy's body, potentially slicing muscles or even letting them damage the internal organs."

"That's insane," Sakura said. "For them to be able to do that, they must have incredible control over their chakra."

"It is extremely deadly," Lee answered. "We can train our bodies in many ways, but the organs cannot be strengthened against attack. Against any opponent, a single hit may be enough to end a fight, if it is executed properly. It's only possible because of their Byakugan; those eyes can see within the body, right through the skin. They can observe the opponent's chakra flow." He glanced at Sasuke for a moment. "It is said by some that the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans are related, since their eyes have similar abilities."

Sasuke said nothing, totally absorbed in watching the battle in front of him, and soon the others lapsed into silence as well, similarly engrossed.

After a few more moments, Neji suddenly caught Hinata's left arm in his right, then struck it hard with his other hand. She gasped in shock and quickly retreated a few paces. Neji waited, seemingly immovable while she rolled up her sleeve and looked at the bruise that was forming where he had struck.

"You can see them," she said quietly. "Is that it?"

"Yes," he said. "I can see everything. Do you understand, now? Or must I continue this to open your eyes? You've lost, Hinata-sama."

"Not yet," she said with determination, standing straighter and readying herself.

Neji's eyes narrowed and he moved forward again, faster than before. This time he took the offensive and held it, and it soon became clear that Hinata was thoroughly outclassed. She struggled to parry and evade his strikes, but one got through for every two she stopped, and if anything she was slowing down.

"What are they talking about?" Naruto asked. "I don't get it."

"While all Hyuuga have the Byakugan, some are more powerful than others," Lee explained quietly. "Neji's is strong enough that he can see the opening points on the outside the body, where chakra is emitted. They're supposed to be no larger than a needle, and they are distributed all over the body, though even most ninjas only use a few."

"What good does that do?" Sakura asked. "It's impressive, of course, but I don't see the importance."

"Their attacks use chakra," Sasuke broke in. "He can forcibly close the points, is that it? That would explain why her chakra seems to be dimming."

"Exactly," Lee confirmed. "If all of someone's points are closed, they become unable to use any ninjutsu or genjutsu, and cannot even use many taijutsu techniques requiring chakra." He paused, turning back to the fight. "That includes the Gentle Fist style itself."

As he spoke, Neji seemed to be wrapping up his prolonged assault, and he stepped away while Hinata crumpled to the floor, gasping in pain.

"This is the difference," Neji told her. "This is the gap between us that can never be changed. Do you still not understand? That sense of inevitability you felt from the beginning of our battle: that is fate. Open your eyes to the truth, Hinata-sama. End this."

She stood slowly. "You're the one who still doesn't understand, brother Neji. I don't give up anymore, and fate has nothing to do with it."

He seemed to be irritated by that and walked forward, feinting high and then sweeping her legs. He stalked in a circle around her as she rose, sending her back to the ground twice more before he turned toward the examiner in disgust.

"This is ridiculous," Neji declared. "A farce. She cannot fight. She can barely stand. End the match."

Hayate seemed to be thinking about it when Hinata reached her feet once more.

"I am not afraid to face you anymore, Neji," she said to him. "Because I can see you clearly now. Between the two of us, you are the one whose vision is clouded by your emotions, not me."

Neji moved faster than he had during the entire match, his face contorting with rage as he lost the cool he typically maintained. He struck her three times in the torso, and then moved to follow her as she reeled backwards.

Hayate, Gai, and Kurenai suddenly appeared around him, each restraining him.

"Neji, you gave me your word that clan business would not interfere with this test," Gai reminded him. "You've won the match. If you do not stop immediately, you will be disqualified."

"Jumping to the main house's defense, I see," Neji said bitterly. "Release me."

After a few moments they let him go, and he began to stalk toward the stairs.

When he was walking by Naruto, the yellow-haired ninja turned to face him.

"If you think people can't change, then you don't know anything," he told the Hyuuga prodigy quietly. "At least Hinata tries to improve. If you think she was weak for standing up to someone stronger, then you're an idiot."

"What would you know about the matter?" Neji asked condescendingly. "People don't change. Fools like you who convince yourselves otherwise…you're just desperate for a comforting lie to mask the truth."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "It seems to me that you're the coward here. You say nothing changes and talk about fate like it's an excuse to justify your being bitter. What did Hinata ever do to you, anyway, jerk?"

Neji seemed about to lose his temper until the last part, and then spoke again. "As I thought, you know nothing. This is a waste of my time." He walked away, ignoring everyone else.

"That guy's attitude really pisses me off," Naruto said aloud.

"Do not worry, Naruto-kun," Lee said. "I'm certain that one of us will be able to show him his mistake sooner or later. As Neji's teammate, I have resolved to free him from his belief in fate so that he may move forward as well."

The medics were rushing Hinata out of the room, and her two teammates went down to talk to her. As they did so, Naruto instinctively followed them.

"I hope you will recover swiftly, Hinata," Shino told her.

"You made him work for it," Kiba told her with a small smile. "That's more than I would have expected from most of the people here. I guess maybe I was wrong."

She looked at Naruto for a moment after they spoke, and almost seemed like she was about to speak, but then began to cough, blood coming from her mouth.

"Uh, I thought you fought really hard, Hinata," Naruto said awkwardly, watching in concern and struggling for the words. "I hope you feel better soon."

With that, the medics finished their preliminary examination and carried her away.

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Summary: Sound Village and Orochimaru

While new, the Sound Village has expanded at a very fast rate, partly by absorbing smaller clans, mercenary groups and villages in its territory. Some joined peacefully, while others were coerced or simply eliminated. Although there are suspicions that this village may be led by Orochimaru, evidence has proven difficult to come by, despite the Hermit indicating that he believes Orochimaru is in charge of the Sound Village. Recent evidence reported as a result of the chuunin exams seems to support this belief, however. Orochimaru's involvement would explain the rapid growth of the Sound Village, which clearly has a strong leader based on prior reports.

The village has remained fairly well-hidden, and may have relocated more than once since its founding. Its relationship to the government of the nation is somewhat unclear, but does not seem to be as harmonious as the typical links between ninja communities and their countries.

Lack of actual combat experience involving Sound ninjas makes it difficult to judge their capabilities. Attempts to have intermediaries hire their services for missions in order to evaluate them have largely proven fruitless, and secondhand reports are sketchy at best. Available data do suggest that in some cases they may be preying on the citizens of their homeland, rather than protecting them.

Knowledge of Orochimaru's whereabouts and activities since his departure from the village has been sketchy at best; there are several extended periods during which he was completely unaccounted for, and he may have laid the groundwork for creating the Sound Village during those periods. The village's joining the Leaf-Sand led group of nations which participate in joint chuunin exams was approved largely as a means for us and the other surrounding nations to gather intel on Sound, but so far those efforts have met with limited success.

Scattered reports seem to allude to Sound ninjas displaying a variety of unique and innovative techniques, which might fit with Orochimaru's desire to experiment; he may well be using the village partly to create a ready supply of test subjects willing to participate in experiments that may grant them power.


	10. Mentors

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

"The last match will be fought by Aburame Shino and Dosu Kinuta," Hayate said, summoning the final pair to the combat area.

Shino was silent as usual, and Dosu's manner was similar. Both of them had seen their teammates suffer defeat at the hands of formidable opponents. Being last was a bit of a break for Dosu, given how beaten his team had been when they arrived, since it gave him a chance to rest.

One of his legs was still heavily damaged from the battle in the forest, and he had no hope of moving quickly with that injury, but other than that he was in reasonably good shape. Shino had heard a bit about his conduct in that fight, but not enough to nail down all of the Sound ninja's abilities with any certainty. Dosu knew absolutely nothing about his opponent.

As a result, it was a bit of a surprise to him when he saw insects crawling out of Shino's collar and spreading out to either side of the Leaf ninja.

His first thought was that they might begin to bite him, although Dosu had very little skin exposed. After a moment of waiting, he decided that he would have to make the first move, and advanced at a jogging pace. While his limp was noticeable, he could make up for it to an extent with the skilled use of chakra.

Shino stood perfectly still as he allowed his opponent to close with him. When Dosu finally felt he was close enough, he struck with his right arm. Shino evaded the blow, as expected, but Dosu activated the device he wore, sending waves of sound infused with his own chakra to attack his opponent.

Before they could do significant harm, however, Shino executed a substitution technique. The attack hit an insect clone instead of its intended target, and the bugs began to swarm toward the Sound ninja. He tried to adjust his sound attack to find a frequency that would drive them off or destroy them, and soon managed to make the mass of insects recoil in apparent discomfort. He would have preferred to destroy them, but didn't want to risk them getting close while he tried out more frequencies.

Dosu turned in a circle, trying to catch sight of his opponent again, but Shino circled in the same direction for a moment before moving in closer to attack. His first blow clipped the side of Dosu's head and the bandaged man staggered a few steps to one side before restoring his balance.

"You should give up," Shino told him. "You began this match at too much of a disadvantage to win. If you continue, you may be severely injured."

"My leg won't stop me from defeating you," Dosu told the Leaf ninja stubbornly. "Your hand to hand skills are obviously weak, and those bugs of yours won't help you now. I'd say you're the one at a disadvantage."

Shino kept circling, occasionally attacking in bursts. Dosu held him at bay, but soon felt himself beginning to tire. At first, he chalked the fatigue up to his injuries; he must not have recovered as well as he thought. Soon, however, he realized it was something else.

"What have you done?" he asked his opponent as he panted for breath.

"Your leg wasn't the disadvantage I referred to earlier," Shino replied.

Dosu abruptly realized that the feeling of weakness he was experiencing wasn't purely physical; he was running out of chakra. He had been keeping his sound amplifier on continuously to keep the bugs at bay, but that shouldn't have drained him so quickly.

"My insects," Shino told him, "are quite obedient. They would not flee from a small discomfort."

Dosu fell to one knee in fatigue.

"They have many interesting traits, but I think the one that will interest you at the moment is that they consume chakra," Shino continued to explain. "As a result, you are currently on the verge of chakra exhaustion, which also causes unconsciousness. Had you kept a closer eye on them, rather than assuming you had figured out their weakness, you might have had a chance at victory."

Dosu collapsed, and Hayate called the final match.

"Aburame Shino is the victor."

…

With the preliminaries complete, those who had won were gathered once more.

"Congratulations to all of you," the Hokage told the assembled candidates. "You twelve will have a chance to become chuunin at the conclusion of this test. The final matches will be held in one month, so you'll have plenty of time to rest and even work to improve your skills. For those of you who are guests in our village, we have private training areas reserved so you can practice unobserved. If there is anything specific you need, your jounin-sensei can talk to our liaison officer, and we'll try to meet any reasonable requests. Now, there's one last thing."

Mitarashi Anko stepped forward with a box. "Each of you will take a number from this box. In the second exam and these preliminary matches, you had to adapt to unpredictable, unknown enemies. Now you've all seen what your opponents can do, and we want to know what you're capable of when you have time to plan. However, the finals are a bit different; instead of one match, you'll be fighting in a tournament. Since there are twelve of you, the last match may be a three-person free-for-all." She grinned, happily imagining the prospect. "It's not like there are always two sides in every conflict, after all."

"Winning your matches will not guarantee that you will receive a promotion," the Hokage broke in. "But those who last longer will have a greater opportunity to show their skills, so it improves your chances. I strongly advise you not to focus too much on your first scheduled enemy."

Once everyone had drawn a number and reported it, Anko summarized the results.

"Alright, it looks like the first match will be Uzumaki Naruto against Hyuuga Neji," she began. "For number two, we have Uchiha Sasuke matched with Kankurou. Third, Aburame Shino will face Nara Shikamaru. Fourth, Gaara will fight Rock Lee. Fifth, Temari and Yakushi Kabuto will fight, and the last one will be Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino."

…

After the group dispersed, Kakashi ushered his students off to an extremely private meeting with Mitarashi Anko and the Hokage himself, so they could give their reports firsthand. Sakura was hesitant to include a few of the details at first – particularly concerning her bloodlust while the seal was active – but Sasuke knew the whole truth already, so she couldn't very well withhold information now.

She found that being with her team was a soothing balm to her nerves. The Hokage was a man with a commanding presence at times, but he only radiated patience and concern throughout her entire explanation, never even interrupting her to ask a question. When Anko looked like she wanted to do so, he waved her to silence.

As for the proctor, she gave a very different impression now that the second exam was over. There was a slightly haunted look in her eyes when Sakura discussed how she felt under the seal's influence, and her expression at the end of the retelling was one of profound sympathy.

Before saying anything about what he had heard, the Hokage had Sasuke and Naruto fill in their parts of the story. They dredged up everything they could remember about their encounters with Orochimaru and the Sound ninjas, in particular, and finally Naruto mentioned the difficulty he had experienced when using chakra since Orochimaru knocked him out.

"It's like there's something off-balance inside," he tried to explain. The sensation was unlike anything he could remember, which made doing so difficult.

The Hokage puffed on his pipe for a few moments as he considered the matter. "Naruto, could you try to mold some chakra right now? A small amount. Don't use it for anything, just hold onto it, please," he directed.

Naruto did as ordered, and reported that he felt the sensation already, even without employing any techniques.

"I believe I understand, then," the Hokage said. "The seal used to imprison the nine-tails was designed to allow some of its chakra out, as you know. That chakra is meant to mix with your own so that you can make use of it. I believe Orochimaru has placed a second seal, one which prevents that from happening. That would effectively decrease your chakra reserves and explain the strange sensation."

"Well…is there any way to fix it?" Naruto asked after a momentary pause.

"Absolutely," the Hokage said with a small smile. "I think I know just the person to do it. It may take him a few days to get here, but you should be perfectly safe until then, so don't worry."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

"Naruto, you should realize something," the Hokage warned him. "Orochimaru knows that you hold the fox, now. While it seems he has no interest in the demon for the moment, that could change. Regardless, you should assume that any Sound ninja or anyone else affiliated with Orochimaru is likely to know your secret. It's possible that it could even spread more widely, although I think it likely he will keep the information to himself. He is the greedy type. Either way, though, you must be more wary from now on. It's unfortunate that there was no way to hide the truth from him, but he would have seen it, so I certainly don't blame any of you."

The Hokage gave Team 7 a minute to process all of that before moving on to the next point.

"Sasuke," he said with a sigh, "it seems that you have begun to attract some very dangerous attention. I'm not really surprised; Orochimaru has said before that one of his goals is to learn every technique in existence, and the Sharingan would seem to be the perfect tool for doing that. He may be the first, and one of the most dangerous, but he won't be the last to covet your eyes. I'm sorry. All I can say is that the village will do everything we can to keep you safe from him, and to prepare you to defend yourself from him when the time comes, as I suspect it will. Beyond that, I congratulate you on awakening your eyes; that is not an easy thing to accomplish. The fact that Orochimaru let you live, while it is bad news in one regard, is also a high compliment to your skill and potential." The Hokage paused for a moment, as if phrasing his next thought carefully. "As twisted as he has become, Orochimaru has usually been a good judge of ability, so I would not be discouraged by the current gap between your skills and his. Time changes many things."

"That leaves you, Sakura," the Hokage said at last. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you survived the cursed seal. The fact is that most people who receive it die, as far as our information indicates. Between one-quarter and one-third survive the implantation and initial activation of the seal."

Sakura paled at that, and she glanced at Kakashi. "Is there any chance that it will kill me now?"

"No," Anko broke in. "The strain when the seal is first placed on the body can be fatal, but once you survive that you're safe. However, it does have other effects, as you've already begun to notice."

Sakura stared at her for a moment. "You had one," the pink-haired young woman whispered. "Is that it?"

"Not quite," Anko answered with a grim smile. "It would be more accurate to say I _have_ one. I've had it for years. For most of that time it has been suppressed so it couldn't affect me, an effect achieved by placing another seal on it. Unfortunately, Orochimaru himself may be able to force the seal's activation if he ever wants to. On the bright side," Anko said cheerfully, "I sincerely doubt he's interested in you. That means that unless you go looking for him, which would be suicidally stupid anyway, you should be able to keep it suppressed for basically the rest of your life."

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said quietly, "but I still don't understand exactly what the seal does. I watched Sakura's preliminary fight through my Sharingan, and it seemed to somehow generate a separate type of chakra for her to use, while simultaneously allowing her to channel more chakra than normal. But if that's all it does, then why would it affect the mind?"

"The truth is that we don't know everything about the cursed seals," the Hokage admitted. "This is partly because we are more scrupulous than Orochimaru. He is quite willing to throw away human lives by the score in the course of his research, which I am not. We can say that the seal seems to augment the chakra coils so they can handle increased flow, while simultaneously forcing the body to generate energy more efficiently. Unfortunately, it can also have psychological effects that we don't fully understand. It seems to exaggerate anger, but beyond that we can't totally predict what it will do. There is also physical stress. It causes pain at times, and can sometimes lead to long-term medical problems, though they are usually minor."

Anko took up the explanation. "The seal's activation can be triggered deliberately, or by a lack of chakra. Medical examination indicates that sufficient stress or adrenaline can also cause it to activate."

"For now," the Hokage decided, "Anko, I'd like to ask you to work with Sakura. You can help her recognize and resist the seal's effects, answer any questions, and also assist her in her preparations for the final stage of the chuunin exam."

"Hokage-sama, I'm not a teacher-" she began to object.

"Everyone teaches, Anko," the Hokage cut her off firmly. "I've let you get away with putting it off, but I think it's about time. After all, if Kakashi here can handle three students, surely you can look after one," he told her with a smile.

She stopped, exhaled quickly, and then nodded acquiescence. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"I think we're about finished here, then," the Hokage told them. "Naruto, I'll send that expert along to help you with your seal as soon as possible. In the meantime, all of you try to relax a bit. I want you to take at least one full day off before you start training to get ready for the chuunin exam finals, is that clear?"

His tone brooked no argument, and all three genin found themselves agreeing immediately.

…

The matchups for the finals leaked, as usual, and soon everyone was talking about the possibility of the last Uchiha facing the Hyuuga clan's young genius. Arguments were started, drinks were bought for anyone who sounded like they had inside knowledge on the subject, and a multitude of bets were placed.

The accepted wisdom was that Uzumaki Naruto and Kankurou had no chance against their respective opponents. In Naruto's case, some of the people spouting these opinions had at least encountered him, although they were largely biased because he hosted a demon. As for Kankurou, no one really knew anything about him, but most residents of the Leaf were quite proud of their ninjas, even in situations where that sentiment might not be justified. In the absence of any particular knowledge, they discounted his chances of defeating an Uchiha as minimal.

There was some interest in a few of the other matches as well; matching an Aburame against a Nara seemed intriguing to a few people, but not nearly as many. Most of the opinions were fueled more by knowledge of clans than individuals; the Leaf village was large enough that most people had no real acquaintance with any given genin.

While the attitude among the villagers was irritating, however, Naruto was pleased when he began to notice that many of the village's ninjas seemed to be looking at him a bit differently. Those who had seen Team 7 in various stages of the exam were largely impressed by all three. The fact that they had faced Orochimaru and lived to tell the tale was not spread around, but those few who new suddenly had more positive views of Uzumaki Naruto, with one or two isolated exceptions.

Sakura was irritated to find that a few people began asking her about Sasuke, as word that the last Uchiha might become a chuunin his rookie season was everywhere and a few people had found out who was on his team. She soon began to dodge the questions entirely, usually saying that she had been told she should not discuss the exams until they were over.

Sasuke himself was practiced at avoiding this sort of attention, although his skills got more of a workout than he was accustomed to during the month.

Naruto and Sasuke met with Kakashi the second morning after the preliminary matches ended, having followed the Hokage's instructions and relaxed for a day. Or rather, Naruto had done so. Sasuke had made an attempt, but it was halfhearted, and he soon found himself back home analyzing what he knew about his potential opponents in the coming tournament.

Once Kakashi arrived – a bit late, of course – they got down to business.

"Naruto, that specialist the Hokage mentioned is going to be in town in two days," Kakashi told him. "Once he's done looking at your seal, I think he'd be an excellent teacher to help you prepare for the chuunin exams, although you may have to convince him. I'll work with both of you until he arrives, but after that I'm going to spend more time teaching Sasuke, unless we can't find another teacher for you." When Naruto frowned in disappointment, Kakashi tried to explain. "I'm not saying I won't teach you anything else in the future, Naruto. But Sasuke and I have a fair amount in common, and I think you'll both benefit more from one-on-one instruction. Besides, I think you'll like Jiraiya once you get to know him."

For the next few days, Kakashi reviewed everything they knew and had them push their practice of nature manipulation. He told Sasuke that he would show him one or two lightning techniques in the coming weeks, and determined that Naruto was ready to try his first wind technique.

"I don't use wind techniques myself, since they don't fit my talents, but here's one I picked up from an enemy once," Kakashi told Naruto, demonstrating. He showed Naruto the seals necessary before having him give it a try.

"Don't be surprised if nothing happens the first time," Kakashi said. "New techniques can be tricky, and small mistakes can send them off target or prevent them from activating at all."

Naruto formed the seals and made his first attempt. "Shield of wind!"

A gust briefly sprang up in front of him, but died out almost immediately.

"Not bad for a first try," Kakashi complimented. "I've seen this technique used to deflect thrown weapons or send them off course so they miss, but don't depend on it too much. I beat the ninja who I learned this from. Still, it will help you get a feel for how to execute wind techniques and balance the nature manipulation with the rest."

While Kakashi kept those two occupied, Sakura was getting acquainted with Mitarashi Anko, who seemed much more stable now that she didn't have a crowd of genin to put on an act for.

"There are some differences between every cursed seal," she told Sakura at their first meeting. "They all do the same thing for the most part; amplifying chakra production and efficiency in a way that boosts your agility and strength. In some cases they may also toughen the skin or help the user regenerate from wounds. I have no idea whether Orochimaru invented the seals himself or discovered them somewhere, but he seems to like giving them to favored followers. It simultaneously increases their power in combat and makes them easier to control."

"Can he use it to control me?" Sakura asked.

"Not exactly," Anko answered. "He can activate mine at will, so you should assume he could do the same to you, even now that it's got another seal around it. The damn thing seems impossible to remove without killing the person it's on, unfortunately. He's always experimenting, so it's possible that your seal is different from mine in some ways." She looked Sakura in the eye. "Unfortunately, there may be only one way to find out."

Sakura nodded in return. "And if I'm facing him again, I'm in serious trouble either way."

"Damn right," Anko said with a small smile. "So, since I'm supposed to teach you for a month, tell me what kinds of skills you have…"

…

He arrived a day later than expected, but found Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi promptly once he reached the village.

"Kakashi, good to see you again," the white-haired man greeted the jounin. "Let's have a look at that seal."

"Jiraiya," Kakashi returned respectfully. "Naruto, this is that specialist the Hokage mentioned. Come on over."

Jiraiya had him mold some chakra and inspected the seal, briefly consulting a scroll he removed from his backpack and nodding to himself as he did so.

"I thought as much," he said aloud, turning toward Kakashi as he spoke. "Orochimaru's work, right?"

"We believe so," Kakashi answered. "Only Naruto and his two teammates were present at the time, so there's a small possibility it was an imposter, but from their reports we're as certain as we can be that it was the real Orochimaru."

Jiraiya nodded again at that. "Yeah, I'd say this supports that," he gestured to the seal on Naruto's belly. "The method is definitely his; rough and practical, without much style. Probably an adaptation of a sealing method he's used for something else before. The system doesn't match the one used to seal the nine-tails in the first-place, so its chakra can't mix evenly with Naruto's, which was the point, I imagine." He turned back to Naruto. "Have you noticed any difficulties using chakra since he placed the seal on you?"

"Yeah, definitely," Naruto answered. "It's way harder to mold chakra and use it efficiently, and I have less than normal."

"Well, this should be easy enough to fix," Jiraiya told him. "Just give me a moment, here." He focused on the seal for a moment, then struck with one hand, fingers extended.

Naruto was a bit irritated. "What the hell! Why did you hit me!"

Jiraiya looked at him evenly. "Kid, I just fixed your problem. Try molding chakra again."

Naruto was astonished to discover that it felt normal again as he tried to use his chakra. He quickly walked up a nearby tree to make sure, and then jumped back down with a grin.

"Hey, thanks!" he told the man. "I thought it would take way longer to fix."

"Ahh, well that is what happens when you are dealing with the legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!" Jiraiya said proudly, standing tall and throwing back his shoulders. "The most difficult obstacles are easily overcome by one with my experience, talent, knowledge, and style!"

"Wow! You're that great!" Naruto exclaimed. While he was playing things up a bit, he was genuinely impressed; for the Hokage to call this man in to look at Naruto's seal rather than doing it himself suggested he had to be gifted in that area at least. "Hey, I bet you could teach me all sorts of amazing things! Can you show me a technique or two?"

Jiraiya's eyebrows rose. "And why should I, the Legendary Sage, share my techniques with some kid?"

"Well, the chuunin exam finals are coming up," Naruto explained, "So I just thought that since you're here anyway I should try to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. It's not every day I meet a Legendary Sage, you know. I figure _not_ asking you to teach me would be a huge mistake. And it's obvious you know a lot about seals – is there anything you can tell me about mine before you go?"

"Hmm…" Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose since I'm here now, it would make sense. Someone should teach you a bit more about the nine-tails' chakra," he mused aloud.

"And who better than you!" Naruto said with enthusiasm. "You're clearly an expert on the subject."

Kakashi was trying not to laugh at all this, but he was a bit proud of Naruto despite himself. While Jiraiya might not be as easily manipulated as he seemed, no one was wholly immune to flattery. Sasuke was trying to remember when Naruto had gotten clever enough to play on someone's pride this way.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, couldn't help seeing a resemblance between the yellow-haired youth in front of him and his two parents. He'd stopped teaching after his greatest student died, but maybe it was time to try again. He owed it to the man to try to take care of his son, after all.

"Well, I was thinking of spending a bit of time in the village anyway," Jiraiya said after a few moments of deliberation. "I suppose I can spend some of it teaching you. But don't expect me to be patient!" he warned in a stern tone. "As a great sage I must use my time wisely, so you had better keep up! If you don't prove worthy of my lessons I'll take them elsewhere."

…

Over the next month, all of the chuunin candidates trained intensely, except for two. Gaara of the Sand had never trained in his life, at least not the way other people did. In any case, his teammates felt that his skills needed no sharpening; he was already dangerous enough. As a result, they encouraged him to rest, as far as anyone could encourage Gaara to do anything.

The other was Yakushi Kabuto, who considered training unimportant in the current circumstances. He went through the motions, but as usual his true energies were directed elsewhere.

"Orochimaru-sama," he greeted his master. "It seems that the village has stepped up security around the Sand candidates, but I believe they are more concerned with protecting them than watching them. The three genin representing the Hidden Village of Sound are being observed very closely, under the guise of medical supervision. They all bear significant injuries. It seems that guards around the other guests have been increased slightly as well, though I believe there is less of a particular purpose in mind in their case."

"It's good to know you are as reliable as ever, Kabuto," Orochimaru said with a smile. "And have you determined anything new about the boy?"

"It seems Hatake Kakashi is training him individually, while others train his teammates," Kabuto answered. "He is working hard, so he is under supervision almost constantly. When he is not training, he is generally at home, recovering, so no opportunities seem likely to present themselves."

"Kakashi, is it," Orochimaru's smile widened. "Amazing how folly is passed down through the generations." He began to frown after a moment, however. "And yet that same folly may be passed to Uchiha Sasuke. That would be unfortunate. As an avenger, he might serve my purpose. As a Leaf ninja, he would no doubt oppose me."

"That suggests he must be acquired soon, then," Kabuto replied. "But what if it is too late already for him to follow you willingly?"

Orochimaru looked at his spy sharply. "Then I will make other arrangements, of course." He paused momentarily. "Pursue your promotion, Kabuto. I have a backup plan that may be better served if you are a chuunin. Feel free to dispose of expendable assets toward that end. Oh, and tell Yoroi and Misumi that if they complain to me again, they will _become_ expendable assets. Those fools do not understand that opportunities must sometimes be manufactured."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied. "And should I consider them expendable assets already?"

Orochimaru smiled again. "That's why you're my favorite, Kabuto. You grasp things so quickly."

…

Kankurou and Temari began to spend more and more time in the practice areas that had been set aside for them, even between sessions. Gaara's hunger for blood, ever unpredictable, was beginning to emerge again and they feared being the only ones around to catch his attention. The two regarded their younger brother as a force of nature; he could sometimes be put off, but they never fully comprehended the whims that moved him to kill one and leave another alive. He could not be fully understood, and so could not be predicted or controlled.

Sometimes he obeyed commands uncaringly, and other times he seemed to reject any authority that tried to assert itself over him. On one occasion he might slaughter someone for reasons that were wholly unclear, and the next day he might leave someone alive out of apparent boredom.

They were never certain how much of what he did was the monster within him and how much was just him. Some days there seemed to be a clear separation between Gaara and his passenger. On others, they feared that the creature might have consumed their brother entirely, or merged with him such that no division could be found.

Their worries increased a great deal when Baki, their jounin instructor and supervisor, told them of their orders. The promise of a great battle to come might help Gaara to be patient and quiet his bloodlust temporarily, but it might also cause that bloodlust to grow in anticipation.

At the same time, the pair now had to worry about acting normally to avoid giving away their village's plans. They tried to balance their need to be out of Gaara's sight with their need to keep an eye on him, and found it difficult at best.

One day, they came back from training and he was gone. When he returned he said nothing about where he had been, and his siblings were too afraid to ask. They were relieved that the next few days were not marked by any outcry over a dead body, and left it at that.

Gaara had experienced a fleeting sense of recognition throughout the exams, but been unable to pin it down. He couldn't figure out what it was, but something drew him to keep searching. At times he wandered around the village, looking for something to trigger his sense of recognition, but nothing seemed to be working. Eventually, he was on the verge of giving up, continuing only because he lacked other distractions.

…

"You already know where your unusually large chakra reserves come from; that the fox's energy mixes with your own, allowing you to use it easily," Jiraiya began his explanation. "But there's more to it than that. You should be able to draw out the fox's chakra in its pure form and use it of your own will. That may take time to learn, of course; it's tough to do. But your seal is designed so that it will be possible. Can you remember any time when you might have felt that chakra?"

Naruto thought for a moment, but it wasn't hard to come up with the answer. "When that Orochimaru guy attacked us," he answered. "When I realized he was hurting my teammates I kind of lost it for a minute. I felt angrier than ever before in my life, and there was just this…power, all of a sudden. Sasuke told me afterward that he could see red chakra around me, and that a couple other things happened. I don't remember it clearly, but he said my fingernails seemed more like claws, and my eyes might have changed."

Jiraiya managed to hide his concern as he heard those details. "Well, Orochimaru certainly has a gift for getting people angry, so I'm not surprised. It sounds like the chakra was coming out instinctively. You need to be careful about doing that; if you aren't in control when you call out that power, the fox may be able to influence you. It may come more easily when you're angry because that emotional state is closest to the fox; it isn't alive quite the same way we are, but it does feel. The fox doesn't like being imprisoned, though, so it's not a good idea to use your anger that way in the future. It might try to get you to break the seal or hurt people around you, regardless of whether they're your enemies."

"Can I break the seal?" Naruto asked with a frown. "Actually wait, don't tell me. As far as I know, I can't. It's probably good to keep it that way, at least for now. I can't think of anytime letting the thing out would be a good idea."

"Neither can I," Jiraiya smiled slightly, "although that doesn't mean we're right. There's a way to break through or unlock any seal, so it is possible. I could probably do it if I had a reason. As for you, you'd have to learn about seals first, or have someone show you how. For now, at least, I think you're right; you don't need to know more about how the seal works yet. Later, maybe. What I want to focus on at the moment is the fox's chakra. Can you remember what the chakra itself felt like, without the emotion attached to it?"

Naruto thought hard for an answer, struggling to remember. "I don't know. The feelings and the power seemed really connected," he admitted after a minute. "I can try, though."

"Then that's where we'll begin," Jiraiya told him. "Your chakra control isn't perfect, but it's pretty good. Given how much you have at your disposal, I think your training should focus on ways to maximize your advantages now. To start with, I'll want you to try to remember the feeling of that red chakra, focus on it, and try to draw on that power. You don't need a lot of it; just a little will be fine. The point here is for you to be able to bring it out at will, consistently."

"Okay," Naruto answered as they began to train.

…

"That's pretty good, Sasuke," Kakashi said critically, "but I know you can do better. Your fire techniques are much more focused. With them, the results are greater and more concentrated heat, and a more consistent flame. Lightning techniques are similar; if you don't hold them steady, the charge may come back at you, ground out or just die away. You need to be able to hold it steady long enough to strike the opponent."

Sasuke grunted in acknowledgment, and began again. The ground around him was marked where his attempts to gather lightning chakra had failed, and a few more prominent spots where he had met with success.

Getting the hang of a new form of nature manipulation was as tiring as he remembered from the first time. While his fire techniques seemed to come easily now, for the most part, he could tell it would still take a lot of work before he could employ lightning seamlessly in battle.

Whatever people might have said or thought about him, the last Uchiha was not afraid of a little hard work. He started again.

…

"That was pathetic," Anko told Sakura in a harsh tone. "It's one thing to prevent the seal from influencing you. If you hold back that much in the finals you might as well quit now. If you went into a real fight that way you'd end up dead, and probably your whole squad with you!"

Sakura gritted her teeth and refrained from responding. Anko had been pushing her emotional buttons during every training session, never letting up. She was kind enough before and after, but during a spar was another matter entirely. The woman berated her, acted disappointed or angry, belittled and degraded her with almost every word, trying to push her into a rage.

"You think real opponents won't see an emotional weakness?" Anko asked, circling her like a predator. "You think they won't smell fear, or hate? They'll see it a mile away, the way you're acting right now. I've seen children who concealed their emotions more effectively. If you can't even control your face, how are you going to keep that seal inactive?"

Sakura screamed in rage and punched the ground, nearly breaking her fist, then stood there breathing heavily for a few moments. She closed her eyes and took a single deep breath, then let it out.

Anko was standing in front of her, a few feet away, head cocked to one side. "It's a start," the jounin said, "although for the sake of the floors in your house, I hope we can improve on it. Let's go again."

…

"That's a bit better, Naruto, but you're still having problems with consistency," Jiraiya told his student. "Still, we've been going for a few days; I think we can afford to try to put this to use."

"Put it to use how?" Naruto asked.

"I'm going to teach you a powerful technique," Jiraiya answered, grinning. "Maybe the most powerful technique I know, in some ways. I've used it for everything from fighting and reconnaissance to escapes. It's never let me down."

"What is it?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"The summoning technique," Jiraiya answered. "Watch." He bit his thumb and made several seals before pressing his hand to the ground.

Suddenly an enormous toad appeared under him, then used its tongue to unroll a large scroll in front of Naruto.

"That scroll is a contract for you to sign," Jiraiya told him. "Once you do, the toads of Myoboku Mountain will come when you call to help you. Some of them can fight, some of them are stealthy, and some help in other ways. If you're good enough, they may even teach you a few new things themselves one day."

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed. "This is like what Kakashi-sensei does! But he summons dogs."

"Ahh, you've seen summoning before," Jiraiya commented. "Different animals have different talents. Did Kakashi use them for tracking? That's usually where dogs excel."

"Ah, yeah, he did," Naruto answered. "And for scouting and patrolling, to warn people if someone was coming. He said it was because of their sense of smell being so good."

"That makes sense," Jiraiya answered. "Dogs can do more than that, too, of course, but I think it's what they're most frequently used for. I've found that toads can help with all kinds of things, but keep in mind nothing can be strong in every way. They're not the best at covering long distances quickly, for example. Part of it is a question of which one you summon, though. I've summoned toads bigger than buildings and smaller than you, depending on what I needed," he explained.

"Really bigger than buildings?" Naruto asked. "I've never heard of that."

"It's something most ninjas can't do on their own," Jiraiya replied. "Partly because not everyone gets a chance to sign a summoning contract like this one, and partly because a lot of them might not have enough chakra to make it practical. Summoning something big can take a lot of energy. Of course," Jiraiya smiled at him again, "that makes it perfect for you. You've got more chakra than you know what to do with sometimes, I'm betting. Anyway, go ahead and sign, then give it a try."

Naruto frowned. "If I can summon all different types of toads with this, how will I get the right one?"

"I'm glad you caught that," Jiraiya said. "That's the trickiest part of summoning, actually. Over time, you'll get to know more of the toads and what their skills are; you'll be able to focus on a specific one when you use the technique. Since you don't know any of them yet, it will be determined basically by how much chakra you put into it. The more chakra, the more powerful the ally you're likely to get. That part stays true later, but working on fine control will matter eventually as well. For now, give it a try and we'll see who pops up."

Naruto's first attempt at summoning was abysmal, calling out a tadpole that he hurriedly released back to its home. Naruto was glad no one else was there to see it; he was embarrassed enough for Jiraiya to witness the event.

His embarrassment waned over the next several days. After three, he managed to summon a toad that was fully-developed, with all its legs, but Jiraiya said that one was still too young to talk or be helpful. After five days, he hadn't made any more progress.

"I think it's time to try a different method," Jiraiya told his student on the sixth day. "You're having trouble drawing out the red chakra, and that's preventing you from summoning effectively. I'll need a couple days to prepare something that may help you; practice your other skills for a little while, then meet me back here in two days. Alright?"

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked. "I know it hasn't been going great, but…"

"Relax, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "I'll be back in two days. I can't guarantee that we'll get results, but I think it's worth a shot. I'll explain then; for now, get a bit of rest and work on your other skills, like I said. It's best not to let them get rusty anyway."

…

"You're trying too hard, Sasuke," Kakashi told him after a few days. "As uninspired as it may sound, the fact is that nature manipulation has to happen naturally, to an extent. Throwing more effort and more of your will into every attempt won't help, at this point. You need to relax a bit."

Sasuke nodded his understanding, but found it difficult to do. After beginning a few attempts, he soon sighed and stopped for a minute, trying to clear his head.

"Something on your mind?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing particular, really," Sasuke answered. "I've just been thinking about the team a bit. When we started, Naruto and Sakura were pretty useless in a lot of ways, but they've been improving so quickly."

"And you're wondering if you've been improving more slowly," Kakashi finished the thought.

Sasuke looked at him sharply for a moment, before nodding again.

"You got used to being the best in the academy and stayed there, Sasuke, but with all of you in the real world I think there may be a few differences you haven't noticed."

"Such as?"

"The truth is, your basics are still better than both of them in a number of ways," Kakashi told him. "Your taijutsu is faster and more precise, and the same goes for your throws and seal-making speed. They've both improved in those areas, but you have too. They're closer to your skill level than when you were all assigned to me, but I don't think you've realized that your skill level has risen. Their progress has been faster largely because they had more improving to do, and getting better at the basics gets more difficult the higher your skills climb."

Sasuke thought back, and couldn't disagree with Kakashi. Maybe he had been underestimating his own growth.

"The other flaw in your analysis, I think, is that you underestimate their starting points," Kakashi went on. "Naruto had a lot of trouble in the academy, but there were two main reasons for that, and you should be able to guess at least one of them with no trouble."

"The nine-tails, obviously," Sasuke responded.

"Right," Kakashi answered. "The demon may give him additional chakra, but too much can be hard to manage, especially when you're younger. I'd say that's part of the reason he used to have trouble with basic ninjutsu. The other part is also related to the nine-tails, though less directly." Kakashi paused. "Do you remember teachers acting differently towards Naruto?"

Sasuke was a bit surprised at that. He had started at the academy so young that the way teachers acted was not really questioned, and that sort of attitude tends to be habit-forming. He frowned and thought for a moment.

"I suppose they seemed less patient with him, at times," Sasuke commented. "In retrospect, it also seems like a lot of the failures they scolded him for were goofing off, not so much technical errors."

"I don't think I can fully explain this to you or your teammates, because you never saw the nine-tails," Kakashi said quietly. "It was the most terrifying experience of my entire life. More than a hundred ninjas died just trying to slow it down. They wouldn't let the younger ninjas even come near it, because they were afraid it would wipe us out, inexperienced as we were by comparison, but frankly I'm not sure experience made a difference. The thing was like some sort of natural disaster with a malevolent will."

Sasuke listened with rapt attention.

"Most ninjas don't know much about seals, and civilians understand even less," Kakashi told him. "To them, a lot of what we do can be frightening, even if we're their defenders. With the Fourth dead, the entire village was in mourning already, and he wasn't around to explain what had happened that night. As a result, a lot of people identified Naruto as the fox, instead of its prison and jailer. There were even a few attempts to kill him, though he was so young at the time I doubt he remembers; the Third had to make a few examples, but he put a stop to that quickly."

That caught Sasuke by surprise; he'd certainly had no idea.

"The point is," Kakashi said, "that a lot of people focused their hatred on Naruto, regardless of how irrational it was to do so, and took their grief and loss out on him. He's tough enough that he can shrug it off most of the time, but some people are more subtle than others. Some of the academy teachers may have wanted to sabotage his abilities to discourage him, and others were just less concerned with teaching him properly. How much would you say he improved once Umino Iruka took over your class' instruction?"

Sasuke thought it over for a minute, then said, "A great deal. His taijutsu form was much better, and perhaps a few other improvements were there as well."

"Iruka's a good teacher, and one who takes his job seriously," Kakashi commented. "He couldn't make all of his colleagues shape up, but he did what he could to help Naruto make up for the poor instruction he'd received before. I'll flatter myself and say that I'm a decent teacher too, in which case all Naruto needed to progress was some actual instruction."

"As for Sakura," Kakashi continued after a moment, "I can understand the reasons why you underestimated her, but don't make that mistake. She was always the best of you three in terms of academics and deep analysis, and those things become more important out here than they seem in the academy, in some ways. Her taijutsu may be slower than yours, but the form is just as good now, and she was always better at using chakra precisely and efficiently. I think the real difference for her is that she started taking being a ninja more seriously, which is hardly uncommon for new genin. That's half the reason I pushed you all so hard in your early training. A lot of people slack off after graduation, thinking that they've finished and don't need any more preparation. Those people often have to learn their lesson the hard way, and sometimes that includes dying."

"That all makes sense, I suppose," Sasuke responded. "It's a bit irritating to realize how biased I was before, though."

"Consider yourself lucky," Kakashi said. "Like I mentioned, that sort of realization can be fatal all too often."

…

"You're doing much better," Anko told Sakura. "I've barely been able to get your temper going at all, and I'm good at getting under peoples' skin. It's almost my secret technique."

"It feels strange to have to fight myself this way, though." Sakura said. "Even knowing the seal is artificially amplifying some feelings or reacting to them, the experience in the moment is so potent that it's difficult to stay rational. How have you managed it for years?"

"Practice, the same way you are," Anko answered. "There is no trick to it, Sakura. Age, maturity and experience all help, but the truth is that those are just fancy ways of saying practice, in this case. It may not be easy to improve your self-control this way, but it's not complicated either, if that makes sense. The other part of the answer is that I didn't do it for years; not at first, anyway."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, her brow furrowing.

"I was a student of Orochimaru, back before he was a missing-nin," Anko told her after a brief pause. "I don't know if you know any of the story already, but Orochimaru was always a genius. He got creepy over the years, but some ninjas have personality problems or bad attitudes, and it doesn't mean we get rid of them. Orochimaru had power, and as long as he was loyal people were willing to overlook the fact that he was a bastard. They just didn't socialize with him." She smirked a bit at that. "Everyone was happy that way, for a while."

"Eventually, though, it came out that he was basically abducting people to use in experiments. He tried to invent new techniques, study bloodline limits, and do other research. His goals were twisted but fascinating, and some of his results were incredible, but his methods were completely inhuman. When I got my seal, it was around the time he got found out. I blacked out from the pain and woke up a few days later in the hospital. It took me a long time to get over what had happened; finding out that my teacher was a monster, that he had put the seal on me…it was a lot to take in at once." Anko stopped musing and looked Sakura in the eye. "I know this is a tangent. I guess I'm just trying to say it could be worse; you still have your teammates, and they seem like the type to watch your back. As far as controlling the seal, well…you'll never have it perfectly under control. You can't, since it belongs to the snake. But it won't take over your whole life or anything like that."

"And as for me," she finished, "I wouldn't have made it if not for Hokage-sama. I almost lost my mind because of this damn thing," she touched the seal on her neck, "but he helped me come back from it." The respect and admiration in her voice were obvious to Sakura, despite the fact that Anko had seemed like someone who hid most of her thoughts.

"He is pretty amazing," Sakura agreed. "I guess I never realized it before, but when I had to tell you all about what happened, it was a lot easier than I expected."

Anko nodded with a small smile, recognizing a familiar feeling. "Exactly. He makes problems feel smaller, and makes us feel stronger. That's part of what makes him so good at his job."

…

As promised, Jiraiya returned two days later.

"Well, I've done a bit of research and come to some new conclusions," he told Naruto once they were sitting in private. "I think the seal was designed to control the fox's chakra more tightly when you were younger, and slowly surrender more of that control to your initiative over time. That's part of why you never felt the fox or the red chakra in the academy. Now that you're older, your body is better able to handle the power. You're still growing, so don't be surprised if it becomes a bit easier over the next few years. For now, though, I've brought this."

He removed a small vial from his pack. It had symbols carved all over it, though Naruto wasn't sure what they meant.

"What is it?" Naruto asked a bit nervously.

"A little something the toads helped me cook up," Jiraiya replied. "I'm a sealing expert, but your seal is one of the most complicated ones around, so I wanted to check a few things. The toad's mountain is a pretty safe place for me to do research, and I store some notes there for security reasons as well. One of the perks of being a sage," he said with a grin, "is having dependable allies who don't mind if you need them to keep an eye on something important. This little concoction should give you a chance to look at the seal in a new way. I can't tell you exactly what the effects will be like, but it won't hurt you. I can't vouch for the taste, though," Jiraiya's grin widened. "I've never been much of a cook, and neither are the toads."

Despite his slight misgivings, Naruto drank the stuff, swallowing it as fast as possible.

The aftertaste was among the least pleasant sensations he could remember in his entire life. It was like someone had somehow found the opposite of delicious ramen and then cooked it down into an extremely concentrated mouthful of pure disgust. He later looked back and considered it fortunate that it knocked him unconscious quickly.

Uzumaki Naruto came to his senses and stood up in a strange, dark chamber. The lighting made it seem like he might be underground, but somehow that idea felt wrong. In fact, trying to assign any location to his surroundings felt wrong. He turned in a circle, taking in the details. It was easy to do; there wasn't much to look at. In one direction a high hallway quickly ended in darkness; it could have gone on for any distance. In the other direction was a huge gate, barred but strong. Where the two doors met there was a chain holding them shut. It seemed to be made in the shape of four linked hands, with writing on them that he couldn't make out. The chain bore a lock. Naruto stepped forward, but stopped when he felt a presence on the other side of the gate.

Two eyes opened and rose slightly, as if their owner was just noticing his presence and trying to decide what to do about it.

"So, you're here at last, boy," a strange voice said from the darkness. The eyes seemed to grow larger and brighter, and Naruto thought each one was as big as he was. "Why have you come?"

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Update: Troop movements in Wind Country

It seems that whatever activities were taking place in the Northwest portion of the Wind Country have concluded. Assets Z and H have confirmed significant troop movements as several units are cycled back out of that region, presumably to return to their normal postings. They have not reported anything about the Kazekage's associate, and it remains unclear whether he was involved in operations in that region.

These movements coincide with adjustments expected to occur as the Kazekage himself comes to Leaf Village for the chuunin exam finals. Such disruptions could be used to mask troop movements, but there is no particular reason to suspect that is occurring at this time.

The Kazekage's advance guards have arrived and are looking over his accommodations to ensure the security arrangements meet with their approval and secure the privacy of his quarters in advance of his arrival. They have followed protocol precisely. Sand ninjas who failed the chuunin exams are remaining to watch the finals and will travel back in a group with the Kazekage for improved security and convenience, and so that they may watch the finals themselves, as usual.


	11. Meetings

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

It was only after the fox spoke that Naruto recognized the presence in front of him as the one he had felt when the red chakra flowed through his body.

"I don't suppose you've come to get rid of this damn seal," the fox said after a moment. "That would be too much to hope for."

"Nine-tails," Naruto said, trying to contain his emotions. This thing was the reason his life had been lonely for so long, and he knew it had killed many of the village's citizens before the Fourth Hokage died to seal it up, even if that knowledge was more academic than personal for the most part. It had killed Iruka-sensei's parents, he suddenly recalled.

"Hey, stupid!" he said to the immortal being of pure chakra. "You've been sitting around in here for years like a lazy jerk, and my life sucked even without you doing anything. I'm here to talk about the rent you owe me for living in my body!"

The thing laughed, a horrible booming sound that echoed in the chamber. "I didn't ask to be put in here, brat. If you have a problem, talk to your precious Hokage. He's the one you should blame. Otherwise I'd be calling you a thief for the chakra you do take."

"Either way, we're stuck with each other," Naruto answered. "So why not cough up some chakra when I need it? It's not like you've got something better to use it on right now."

"You're an insolent little spec, aren't you," it said, sounding amused. "Still, better crazy than cowardly. Maybe you'll be worth eating the day I get out of here." It stared at Naruto a few moments longer, and he kept from flinching at the threat. "Fine, landlord!" the fox said with a faint chuckle. "You can have some chakra when you need it. But remember; now you can't say I'm not doing anything for you."

…

In his guest quarters in the Leaf Village, Gaara of the Sand woke up and looked around. He felt that vague sense of recognition once again, but something about it had changed. It was sharper now, and his curiosity was stronger, but simultaneously more distinct from his own emotions; it was more obvious now that it stemmed from his companion.

He left to investigate, departing quietly enough that his siblings remained asleep in their rooms.

…

It was after dark when he awoke, and Naruto sat up slowly.

"How'd it go?" Jiraiya asked, turning to look at him.

"I talked to the fox," Naruto answered. "I think using its chakra won't be as much of a problem now, although I'm not sure how long the thing will stay cooperative. I guess it's one of those things where there's only one way to find out."

"I think I would have been more worried if it was too easy," Jiraiya answered. "So, ready to give summoning another try? You've been out for two days, so your body should be plenty rested."

Naruto blinked. "Two days? But it only seemed like a few minutes."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Jiraiya told him. "It's not like your situation is a common one. Still, I wouldn't have been surprised if the stuff I gave you kept you under for three days, or even four. Five might have been pushing it, but two is nothing special."

"I guess," Naruto replied. After letting the passage of time sink in, he turned back to his new teacher. "Well, if I've lost a couple of days then I definitely don't have time to waste. I bet everyone else has been training this whole time; if I don't catch up I'll get crushed at the finals."

As quickly as that, the two got back to work. Naruto, filled with enthusiasm and the desire to use his new power for the first time, poured chakra into the summoning technique.

"Jiraiya?" The enormous toad said in a surprised voice a moment later. "What's going on? Who's the kid?"

Naruto was staring in awe. The toad was large and mostly orange, with a scar over its left eye, a pipe in its mouth, and a knife that was itself big enough to stare at. Forget bigger than buildings; this guy might be bigger than small towns. If he stayed put he would be featured on maps. He was…immense. Gigantic. Huge.

Naruto ran out of synonyms for the word "big" after a few seconds, and continued to stare.

"Hey, Gamabunta," Jiraiya said in his most charming voice. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine," the toad said, its massive eyes narrowing. _Oh, I forgot massive, _Naruto thought. _I wish Sakura-chan was here, she'd know a word for something this big._

"Why did you call me out?" the toad continued.

"Well, I didn't," Jiraiya told him. "As it happens, the kid here was just trying to get the hang of summoning, and I think he overdid it a bit. I'll send you right back, sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Don't call me for pranks, Jiraiya," Gamabunta said, irritated. "If you have to waste my time at least do it at home."

"Hey, big toad!" Naruto called.

"My name is Gamabunta," he answered, sounding even more annoyed.

"Gamabunta then, whatever – he's not kidding. I called you." Naruto stood proudly as he proclaimed his accomplishment.

"Well don't call me again unless it's important, kid," Gamabunta told him bluntly. "I'm the toughest toad around, and I don't like it when people waste my time. If you want to keep calling me and my relatives, you'd better prove you're worth our time."

He disappeared before Naruto could respond.

"What was his problem?" he asked Jiraiya, beginning to get a bit irritated himself.

"Oh, he's just grumpy sometimes," Jiraiya answered. "Don't let his attitude fool you; he was impressed you managed to call him at your age. He really is the boss of the toads, though, so if you call him again you'd better have a good reason. He won't follow orders, but he'll fight with you if you earn his respect."

"I thought summoned animals always followed orders," Naruto said, a bit confused.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Usually they do, but there are exceptions. Gamabunta won't hurt you or anything if you've signed the contract, but he doesn't have to do whatever you say, either. They're allies, not servants. Treat them like allies, and you'll find the toads can be a loyal bunch."

"Okay," Naruto answered. "I can do that."

…

Gaara stared at the yellow-haired young man. He realized that the Leaf ninja must have a monster within him as well; that could be what he felt. Gaara's monster sensed a kindred spirit of sorts, though he couldn't say whether it was an enemy or something else. He would have to try to find out later. To find another like himself would be unprecedented. If it was an enemy, ending its existence would be a worthwhile accomplishment.

He couldn't really imagine an alternative. He felt his constant companion stirring within him.

…

"Alright," Kakashi said to Sasuke. "We've only got a few days left, and I think your lightning nature manipulation is about as good as it's going to get before the finals. There's one other thing we need to talk about."

"The Sharingan," Sasuke said, unable to fully disguise his eagerness.

"Precisely," Kakashi answered. "You know all about its strengths now, I think. You've practiced reading my movements and techniques, and gotten a bit of a feel for what it's like to face me when I use my own Sharingan as well. Keep in mind that you have a bit of an advantage over me. Since the Sharingan are yours, awakened in your body, they should work better for you. In time, you may be able to use them to perform genjutsu with just a look, which I can't, and using them should consume significantly less chakra, so you'll be able to afford to activate them more often. But what I want to talk about are the weaknesses."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose. "What weaknesses? I know it won't automatically let me win every fight, but I can't see how it would make my chances worse."

"Not necessarily," Kakashi agreed, "but there's still a danger of overestimating their power. First, let's talk about taijutsu. The Sharingan lets you perceive and copy any taijutsu technique, but there's a flaw there if you think about it."

Sasuke frowned. "Speed? I remember when I was fighting Orochimaru that he could move faster than my reaction time; I could tell he wasn't pushing himself to stay ahead of me, even when I was at my fastest."

"Good analysis, but a bit too specific," Kakashi told him. "More generally speaking, it's a question of training your body. You obviously can't copy speed, but there's more to it than that, even out of combat. Consider escape techniques, for example. If your wrists were tied up, and you saw someone escape from similar bonds, you might not be able to perform the technique even if you copied it. The muscles in your hand need to be properly trained for that sort of escape to work; if they aren't, then they won't be strong enough."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "I see what you mean. I couldn't copy the Hyuuga's fighting style either, and I suppose the same would apply to ninjutsu. I might be able to copy a water or earth technique, but if I haven't trained in that type of nature manipulation it will probably have extremely poor results anyway."

"Exactly," Kakashi agreed. "The result is that Wind and Fire users tend to be a bit more irritating for me, in some ways, since I can't just copy their techniques to cancel them the way I can with everyone else. Summoning techniques are another obvious example; I signed a contract that allows me to summon dogs, so I can only summon them. I can't copy an opponent's summoning. And as you said with the Hyuuga example, I can't copy abilities that rely on a bloodline limit."

Sasuke was really thinking about it now, his mind working quickly. "And even if I could copy a technique, it might not be wise to do so. An opponent could try to beat me that way, tricking me into copying them so that I would have some sort of opening."

"That is another danger," Kakashi agreed. "Of course, that will only happen with opponents who know what you can do, but it will occur sooner or later. Finally, there's one last thing to keep in mind about the Sharingan. As powerful as your eyes might be, they're still _eyes_. When we were in the Wave Country, the Hidden Mist technique prevented me from seeing clearly, drastically reducing my Sharingan's effectiveness until the mist cleared. Bright lights, walls, striking from behind and other tricks are pretty common as soon as someone realizes that you're using any kind of eye technique. Expect people to throw a lot of smoke bombs and come up with a million other variations on the theme of blocking your line of sight. If you depend on your eyes too much, you _will _die."

"I understand," Sasuke answered after a moment. "I suppose in a sense that makes it better that they weren't simply active my whole life. I'm used to training and fighting without them, which should make it easier not to let them become a crutch."

"I certainly think so," Kakashi replied. "As useful as bloodline limits and special techniques can be, there is one weakness they all share: people often depend on them. They try to use them to solve every problem, even when they aren't the right tool for the job. That's one reason people sometimes delay passing on family techniques and things of that nature; we want those we train to learn how to think tactically, instead of just reacting the same way to every problem."

"Is that why you keep your Sharingan covered most of the time?" Sasuke asked.

"That's part of it," Kakashi answered. "It's more of a physical strain for me, so the risk is greater when employing it in combat, as well. Think about the Hokage for a moment. He's the strongest ninja in our village, but he has no bloodline abilities, and the Sarutobi clan isn't known for any particular technique or special style. Everything he employs is something anyone could learn. He's the best because he knows a wide variety of techniques and employs them intelligently. It's his tactical ability that has allowed him to win battles against opponents some people might have called stronger. That same ability made him a good teacher; it's no coincidence that he trained three of the most powerful ninjas in the Leaf's history."

"The Sannin," Sasuke mused aloud. "I've done some research since the forest, though of course the important details are all classified, but I see your point. Each of them excelled in a different area, but each is a force to be reckoned with." He looked directly at Kakashi again. "And I note that none of them had bloodlines either, or belonged to a clan known for its secret techniques."

"Exactly," Kakashi said. "They learned a lot of their best techniques from other people, but Sarutobi is identified as their main teacher for a reason; he taught them the tactics that determine how they use those techniques. Each new technique is like a tool, and combat is a puzzle, in a way. If you apply the wrong tool, you won't solve the puzzle."

"Puzzles don't usually kill you for failing," Sasuke said.

"No, they're boring that way," Kakashi replied in a cheerful tone.

Sasuke just shook his head at that.

…

"You'll never have it fully under control," Anko told Sakura. "One of the most frustrating things about the cursed seal is that it offers a genuine temptation. The power _can _be useful, and there's no denying that. I won't even tell you never to use it. Just make sure you understand the risk involved. Once its influence is spreading, you may find it hard to stay focused on the reasons you activated it in the first place. Even if you do, each time you use it you'll be more likely to turn to it again."

"You mean it's addictive?" Sakura asked nervously.

Anko shook her head. "No more addictive than any other tool that can prove effective. It grants you a feeling of power, which is hard to resist. What's harder is the fact that the power is real. It may be difficult to control, but it's there all the same. What I'm trying to tell you is this: you might manage to control it the first time, or the first five or fifteen. But every time you use it you'll be more tempted to rely on it instead of developing your own strength or using your mind to solve your problems. That is the danger. That is part of how it helps Orochimaru control his followers; they come to depend on him to give them power, instead of earning it for themselves."

"So that's what you meant, before," Sakura said. "Not that he can take over people's minds or compel them to obey."

"No, nothing like that," Anko answered. "He's not above coercion of course – Orochimaru isn't above anything, as far as I can tell – but there are subtler ways to subvert someone's will. He likes ambitious people, a lot of the time; finds them easy to manipulate. People who feel powerless are another group that can be exploited. Imagine someone like that being granted a cursed seal. The promise of more power alone is often enough to secure their loyalty at that point. He'll give people just enough for them to follow him, then use them up and cast them aside."

"But why do they still follow him?" Sakura asked. "They must see what happens to his other followers; wouldn't that warn them about the dangers?"

"It should," Anko acknowledged, "but people aren't always smart. They aren't even always rational. He gets them when they're weak, or desperate. He uses people who have nowhere else to turn, a lot of the time. Orochimaru can be charismatic, even as sick as he is. He has a presence that can awe most people, or terrify them. It's an asset he's learned to use over the years. Others convince themselves that they'll be able to use him and get what they want." She looked at Sakura with a grim smile. "As far as I know, that has never worked out well for anyone."

Sakura remembered her own encounter with the man. "I'm not surprised," she answered. "He didn't seem like the type to help anyone except himself."

…

There were two days left before the finals when Naruto saw Hyuuga Neji as he returned home after finishing with practice for the day. He walked over to talk to the young man out of instinct, not really knowing what he intended to say.

"I have no interest in speaking to you," Neji said without turning his head.

"Then try listening for a change," Naruto replied without thinking.

Neji stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "Why should I care about anything you have to say?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Naruto asked, ignoring the other's question. "You go on and on about fate and power and other stuff, like it's so important it would kill you to shut up and even consider that you might be wrong. You act like you hate Hinata and you want to kill her during that match. I may not know either of you well, but it doesn't take a genius to see that if she ever did anything to you she would have apologized. So what is it? What's your excuse?"

"Excuse?" Neji said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "You truly do know nothing. I'm not going to waste my time explaining the way the world works to some idiot like you." He began to turn as if to walk away, but Naruto stepped in front of him.

"No, you don't get off that easy this time," he told Neji. "You can probably get by most people by acting arrogant and aloof, because they don't want to talk to you badly enough to put up with how obnoxious you are, but I'm not that easy to distract. I've heard people say you're a genius or a prodigy when it comes to fighting, but that doesn't make you smart. So answer me: what the hell is your problem with Hinata? What made you want to break her spirit and tear her apart in front of everyone like that, huh?"

"You couldn't possibly understand-" Neji began in the same arrogant tone.

"No," Naruto cut him off. "I told you, you're not dodging the question this time, whatever other people let you get away with. If you think I can't understand, then _explain_ it to me, from the beginning if you have to."

Neji began to look even more tightly controlled than normal, obviously holding his anger in check. "You want to know? Fine, then," Neji told him. "The Hyuuga clan is divided into a main house and branch houses, as you may not be aware," he said sarcastically. "The main house is accorded a great many privileges, while the others must serve. A number of years ago, there was an attempt to abduct Hinata-_sama_, most likely in order to obtain her eyes. Her father killed the man responsible before he could escape, but it turned out to be a visiting diplomat from the Village Hidden in the Clouds." He paused. "Am I moving too quickly for you?"

"I'm keeping up just fine," Naruto answered in a cheerful tone.

For a moment he thought Neji was about to try to kill him in the street, and he wiped his smile away immediately. "Don't stop now, I'm still listening," Naruto said, trying to distract him from his anger.

After a moment, Neji continued his tale. "The _diplomat_ had signed a treaty before undertaking his true mission; under the terms of the treaty, his village demanded Hiashi-sama's head for killing their envoy. The choices were to appease them or go to war, and our bold leaders chose the first. Of course, Hiashi-sama is the head of the Hyuuga clan, as well as Hinata's father. He was far too important to be sacrificed. Fortunately," Neji's voice became even more bitter, "he had a twin. Hyuuga Hizashi was born only moments after his brother, but that difference was enough to make him expendable. Because of that, my father's life was sacrificed instead of his brother's."

Naruto's eyes widened at that, and at the emotion he could hear in the other's voice. Before he could think of anything to say, however, Neji went on.

"The Hyuuga clan employs seals which are placed on all of the branch family members, you see." His tone shifted as he took off his forehead protector, exposing a seal beneath it. "This seal ensures that our eyes will be destroyed if we die, among other things. That way, the Cloud ninjas would receive my father's useless eyes, instead of Hiashi-sama's. Of course, the seal has other uses as well; the main family can use it to compel obedience through pain, if they wish."

He glared at Naruto. "So tell me, do you still think there is no such thing as fate? Or will you admit that you have no basis for understanding what I am even talking about?"

Naruto paused for a moment, thinking hard about his answer.

"I don't see how any of that is Hinata's fault," he told Neji. "She didn't put any seals on anyone, or send your father to die. If you really believe in fate, then you have no right to hate her, because it wasn't her choice. As for whether I can understand, I think you'd be surprised. And if you hate the way Hyuuga is so much, then just wait a few years. Once I'm Hokage, I'll fix that crap. Because you're at least a little bit right, Neji; it's a stupid way to run things."

Neji was speechless for a moment, just staring at him. Then he shook his head.

"You are not fated to become Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto," he said sadly. "You still do not understand. Only a few are granted such power. The more you struggle against your fate, the more you will suffer, until you either accept it or are broken by the truth."

"Now I have to give your own words back to you," Naruto said, sprouting a grin. "You don't know anything about me. I'm more than capable of becoming the Hokage, and I keep my word. Even if you don't believe me now or ever, I'll still fix the Hyuuga clan for you. No fate is going to stop me from accomplishing my dream, and once I do I'll look out for the whole village, because that's what it means to be Hokage."

Neji seemed to grow irritated again. "Enough. I've told you what you wished to know, and I will not stand here and listen to your idiocy any longer." He stalked away, and this time Naruto let him go.

"He'll hold a grudge over that," a voice said from behind him a few moments later.

Naruto turned and saw Tenten standing there, leaning against a wall with a slight smile on her face. "Although I am a bit impressed. Most people can't get him to talk that much."

Naruto frowned at her. "Don't you care? He's your teammate."

Her smile lapsed. "He is the way he is," Tenten told him. "I may not believe in fate the way Neji does, but that doesn't mean I can change him." She looked at him for a moment, as if evaluating him. "You should be careful in your match. He may keep it under control most of the time, but he has a temper. You'll be better off if you just skip the talking."

Naruto felt himself growing a bit annoyed, now. "If you won't bother helping him, I will," he said, turning to walk away.

"Your funeral," Tenten called after him.

She stood there, tapping her fingers on her arm for a minute after he left, lost in thought.

…

That same day, Anko told Sakura to relax and recover.

"I've pushed you pretty hard this past month, and you handled it well," the jounin said. "You've earned a break. And besides, anyone who tires themselves out or gets injured the day before the finals always feels like an idiot. Spend a bit of time with your friends or your family. Your genjutsu skills are a little tighter, and you're handling the cursed seal as well as you could be after only a month."

"Thank you for everything," Sakura said sincerely. "When I first saw this thing, I had no idea what it was or what to think, except that it scared the hell out of me. I really don't know what I would have done without you."

"Oh, it was nothing," Anko said dismissively.

"Sure," Sakura said with a small smile.

After a moment, she turned to head home.

"Hey, Sakura," Anko said, "If you need any more help with that thing, I'm still around, okay? Any problems, you better tell someone."

Sakura turned back to face her again. "I will, I promise. And thanks, really."

She was halfway down the block when she heard Anko yell, "Good luck in the finals!"

Mitarashi Anko shook her head as she watched her first student go. It had felt good to help Sakura, to see her growing. She could just picture the Hokage looking smug next time he saw her. She could never hide anything from that old man, and Anko was certain that the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment she was experiencing was _exactly_ what he had expected her to feel after the month of training Sakura. No doubt the geezer would insist that she spend more time teaching now that she had proven her ability to do so. She'd managed to dodge instruction duties for years; one student for one month, and that was about to go all the way out the window.

She was irritated by the fact that it didn't bother her. She had sought isolation for most of her life since Orochimaru left the village, at least to an extent. Having comrades was acceptable, but Anko had made no close friends in the years since her old teacher's exile began. Some, Like Hatake Kakashi or Sarutobi Asuma, seemed to understand and respect her choice to maintain emotional distance. A few, like Yuuhi Kurenai, had tried to break through her shell. The Hokage had rarely made any comments about her lifestyle, but she could still sense his concern when they spoke, and his gentle disapproval when her choices perpetuated her isolation.

She sighed. Part of her had known what it meant when he gave her the assignment to help Sakura back in the tower, but the Hokage had been good to her over the years. He had interviewed her personally once after Orochimaru left, and had never seemed to doubt her after that, even when her peers looked at her skeptically, watching for signs of treason. He had always walked the line between caring about her and respecting her privacy with a flawless grace she found difficult to understand and impossible to match. And when her cursed seal had caused her difficulties, he had personally helped her figure out how to contain it – and live with it.

"Oh well," she said aloud. At least if her isolation was going to change, she felt a bit happier. Finally admitting to herself that he had been right all along was a small price to pay, in the end.

She felt a perverse, childish desire to continue her campaign of isolation just to avoid having to admit the Hokage had always been right, and laughed at herself.

…

Sakura was halfway home when she ran into Ino leaving her family's flower shop for lunch.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino greeted her.

"Ino, how have you been?" she replied. "Training hard for the finals, I hope. I'd hate to bore the Hokage while I'm beating you."

"Oh, please." Ino answered. "I've got better moves and more style than you."

"Keep telling yourself that," Sakura said.

"Well if your moves are so good, Sakura, why did I hear that you needed Sasuke-kun to bandage your ribs back in the forest?" She paused briefly, raising an eyebrow. "Or did you not _need_ him to?"

"Watch it, Ino," Sakura shot back. "I was too tough for you before then, and I'm even tougher now. The way I remember it, your big new technique in the preliminaries was to cut your hair."

"Some of us know how to surprise our opponents," Ino replied. "Besides, you might want to shorten your hair anyway. Easier to conceal or disguise that way, and doesn't get in the way so much during fights."

"Come to think of it, you were embarrassed about something back then," Sakura remembered aloud. "So, what's the story with that technique?"

"It's just something a family member came up with," Ino said, trying to sound relaxed.

Sakura noticed that her friend's cheeks had turned pink. "And?"

"And what?" Ino returned, her tone overly casual. Her cheeks were definitely red now.

Sakura smirked. "What is so embarrassing about that technique, Ino?"

Ino was blushing furiously as she pulled Sakura closely around a corner.

"Look, promise me you'll shut up about it once I tell you, okay?" Ino asked in a whisper.

"I won't tell anyone," Sakura said. "Come on, quit being so secretive."

"Okay, look," Ino started to explain, "I found it by accident. I was reading this diary written by one of my ancestors, because she talks a lot about techniques and tactics in it; I guess she was always experimenting. So I ran across the seals for this technique that lets you run chakra through your hair and use it like rope – strengthens it so it will support weight and stuff."

"Okay…" Sakura said slowly. "I still don't see how this is embarrassing."

"Well, she didn't invent the technique for use in combat," Ino answered.

"So what?" Sakura asked, puzzled. "I mean I assumed it was an experiment, or supposed to be a utility thing. You could use it anytime you need a lightweight replacement for rope or thread, if you don't have supplies."

"That's not what I'm saying," Ino shook her head. "She invented it for…um…recreational use."

Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at her friend for a moment, and then she started laughing.

After a moment, Ino joined her, her blush gradually fading.

"Look, I didn't know when I learned it, okay?" she said once the two had calmed down. "So just don't get on my case about it."

Sakura smiled at her. "I guess I can let you off the hook, but you owe me one."

Ino smiled back at first, but then the expression faded.

She looked at her friend seriously. "Sakura, I've been worried about you. I know something happened during the exams, but I don't know what. Are you okay?"

Surprised, Sakura looked away or a moment, trying to marshal her thoughts before answering.

"Oh, it's nothing, you know," she told her friend, trying to sound cheerful. "Just hit a rough spot during the second exam-"

"Sakura," Ino cut her off firmly. "Please. I've known you too long for that. If you can't tell me for some reason, if it's classified or something, fine. But otherwise, please." Ino sounded worried now, her emotions leaking through into her words. "I know we kind of fought for a while, but you're my best friend. If something's not right, I want to know. I'll help you if I can."

Sakura kept looking away, feeling paralyzed for a moment. She swallowed a lump in her throat, and then hesitantly lifted her arms, reaching for the bandage on her left arm. Her hand shook slightly as she uncovered the cursed seal, allowing her friend to see it.

Ino inhaled sharply when she saw the strange symbol and the odd scar next to it – like two fangs or needles had pierced the skin. She held her friend's arm – Sakura was trembling now – to look at it more closely.

She looked up and waited a few moments for Sakura to meet her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"It's called a cursed seal," Sakura answered in a detached voice. "It can sort of give me power, but it hurts, and it can have bad long-term affects if I use it. I don't even know everything about it, not for sure. It might do other things that I haven't noticed yet. The first time it acted up, I…"

A shiver ran through her and for a moment it was difficult to go on as she remembered the hate, the anger, the twisted joy she had taken when Zaku was in front of her, begging for mercy she had no intention of granting. The emotions were so vivid and unlike anything in her past experience, and she had come to realize how strange the whole episode had been in the past month. She had become enraged when she saw Sasuke hurt, but her concern had been completely lost in her desire to hurt the enemy, and that could have gotten him killed if they had been less fortunate. As all this ran through her mind, Ino just waited silently for her to gather herself, gently holding her friend's arm.

"I almost killed three people the first time," Sakura continued in a dull tone. "But I wasn't just fighting, I was toying with them. I cut off the one guy's hand, and then he was begging me not to do the other one." She almost sounded like she was panicking, now. "I didn't need to, but it was…bad. He was terrified, and I was just watching, dragging it out. I wanted him afraid, wanted him to beg. I felt amazing, but I was thinking _wrong_, not like me." She paused again before continuing on in a faint whisper. "It shouldn't activate anymore unless I let it, but there will always be some risk. Probably for the rest of my life."

Ino hugged her friend wordlessly as tears flowed down her face, and the two stood there in silence.

It took some time for Sakura's shaking to subside, but still Ino waited, saying nothing until Sakura had had time to gather her wits again.

"Why don't we hang out at my house," Ino suggested quietly, "and you can tell me the whole story. And once it's done, we'll eat something unhealthy and delicious. Sound good?"

Sakura smiled weakly but gratefully through her tears. "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

After a moment's thought, she revised her opinion. "Or maybe all month," she corrected.

"What can I say?" Ino replied, trying to cheer her friend. "I'm full of the best ideas."

The cheerful, insincere vanity brought a small smile to Sakura's lips. "You're full of something, anyway."

They laughed at each other as they walked down the street.

…

Sasuke spent his last day before the finals at home, for the most part. He restrained himself from practicing in order to let his chakra and his body recover fully for the next day, but trying not to think about training was driving him insane. He tried reading history, tactical lessons, and other useful things but couldn't focus.

His brother had won the tournament when he became a chuunin, and had tested fairly young. He vaguely remembered Itachi's pride at the accomplishment, and his father's pleasure. The whole clan had been happy about it; a strong heir to the clan leader was always a good sign.

So few years had passed between that day and the one that changed his life forever. More time had passed between the massacre and now, and he was still no closer to an answer.

He had to kill Itachi, but he had realized years ago that justice and vengeance were not what he wanted the most. The blood of his kin and especially his parents demanded both, but Sasuke knew that what he wanted was an answer. Something to explain how his brother had changed, because he was certain he _had_ changed. Even his childhood recollections could not have been so completely incorrect. The only alternative would have required Itachi to be undercover since he was a child, and even he wasn't that precocious.

Yet the greatest problem was that the one man with the answers was the person he could trust least in all the world. He might never be able to arrive at the truth with certainty. His best chance would be to bring his brother back to the village and have one of the Yamanaka clan look into his mind, but even that couldn't guarantee results. Any technique could be resisted, and that possibility would require him to capture Itachi _alive_, a far more dangerous proposition than simply killing him, and not one that the Hokage would necessarily agree to.

He turned the matter over in his mind as he had hundreds of times before. As usual, he could arrive at no new solution or conclusion. Soon, his thoughts wandered.

Since leaving the academy, Sasuke had begun to notice changes in himself. He felt closer to his teammates than he had to anyone since the loss of his clan, and he couldn't decide what to do about it. Pursuing friendships while his task was incomplete felt wrong somehow; he had dedicated his life to a purpose, and chosen to put everything else aside for his two goals. Spending time on something as frivolous as friendship while Itachi still breathed felt like a betrayal, and that sensation kept holding him back from engaging more with his peers.

Sasuke's brother had ended his childhood that night, and playing or relaxing with others of his own age had simply never been something he did afterward. Now they were older, and many of them were more serious, but his reluctance to develop more than professional relationships remained.

Sasuke didn't know consciously that part of the reason he kept people at a distance was from simple fear of losing them, but he knew that his growing respect for Sakura and Naruto had skirted the edges of a true friendship. In unguarded moments, or when he was distracted by other concerns, he was more prone to reacting to them emotionally. He had almost laughed at some of their jokes on a few occasions, something he had not done for years. Naruto had seemed like a loud, irresponsible fool, but he was clearly dedicated to his training, pushing himself hard consistently. Sakura had seemed like a different sort of fool at first, with her excessive admiration for him, but now she too was approaching their work with more seriousness, and her mind was a powerful tool.

Sasuke had been in the habit of keeping his distance for years, but he longed for the things Itachi had taken from him at the same time. His brother had killed everyone he felt any emotional connection to in a single night, and having trustworthy comrades was shaking his world. Sasuke had not had anyone to be concerned about since the death of his family. Now, the risks of combat were making it harder for him to ignore the fact that he had something to lose.

Having allies might help him defeat his brother in the long run; he had always known that. At the same time, he felt a need to kill Itachi himself; it was his responsibility and no one else's. Now, visions of his brother killing his teammates haunted his nightmares at times. Each moment that Itachi lived and walked free was like a shackle that held him back from everything else in the world. Even without showing his face, his brother somehow continued to loom over his shoulder at every turn.

He stewed in his small apartment until he was able to distract himself with cooking and household chores. He'd let the place get messy during the past month, while he was busy training with Kakashi. Eventually, the distraction was enough that he managed to sleep, but the faces of the dead were with him as always, and Itachi was ever-present in his thoughts and dreams.

…

Naruto's conversation with Hyuuga Neji and Tenten's apparent apathy when it came to her teammate's attitude troubled him afterward. The day before the finals he found himself walking around town, wondering what his match the next day would be like. He was trying to figure out how he would beat Neji, and why it was so important to him that he do so.

He wandered back to the training ground where Kakashi had first tested Team 7; his feet unconsciously taking the familiar path. When he arrived, he was surprised to find Hyuuga Hinata there, practicing. After a minute, he walked over.

"Hi, Hinata!" he greeted her. "Are you better already? I'm surprised to see you practicing."

She looked surprised as she turned to face him. "Oh, Naruto-kun," she said quietly. "Hello."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"Do you train here a lot?" Naruto asked. "I came by because this is the first place my team really did anything, so it's kind of a special spot."

"Oh," Hinata said. "I can leave if you want."

Naruto's confusion was evident on his face. "You were already training when I got here, Hinata, it's not like I'm going to kick you out. Hey, are you really healed from that fight with Neji?"

"I'm recovered enough to train again," she said evasively.

"Hinata, if you're still hurt you should probably be resting, you know," Naruto said, his face showing a concerned frown. "I mean my team wasn't hurt badly after the preliminaries, but even the Hokage told us to take a break before training anymore." He neglected to mention that the break had only been one day long.

Hinata spoke haltingly. "I still have a long way to go. I'm not in the finals, but that doesn't mean I should relax too much."

"I guess," Naruto said. "But there's such a thing as pushing too far. I mean, if you don't rest at all people will worry about you. Like your teammates, or Kurenai-sensei," he continued after a moment.

Hinata's face seemed to fall slightly at that. "Of course," she said. "I shouldn't worry them."

After another awkward pause, Hinata began to turn away. "I should go home. Goodbye, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was startled by her abrupt decision to leave, and it took him a few seconds to recover.

"Hey, Hinata!" he called.

She turned back, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm going to kick Neji's ass and show him he's wrong," Naruto proclaimed proudly. "I know he won, but you can still prove him wrong too, just don't give up!"

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said, a smile spreading across her face for the first time during the conversation. "I believe you will win."

After she left, Naruto couldn't help thinking that Hinata was a bit strange.

"At least she's nice, though," he muttered unconsciously. After a moment, he began to wonder about that. Kakashi and Rock Lee were both strange too, but seemed like good people.

_On the other hand, _Naruto thought, _Orochimaru was definitely strange, but the closest he came to being a good person was probably killing one._

That sobering thought soured his good mood, and he soon left the training area to return home.

…

"Inform Kazekage-sama that we are prepared," Baki told the messenger. "Our liaison with the Sound Village has also indicated that they are fully ready. We await only his final confirmation to proceed."

The man nodded once, and then departed. He was one of the Kazekage's advance bodyguards, and would return to meet the Sand Village's leader in transit, having inspected the quarters reserved for him.

Those quarters would not be used for the purpose the Leaf Village had in mind when they provided them, of course. But the guards who were staying would see to it that they served a purpose, nonetheless.

…

Dosu, Zaku and Kin were unable to act from within the medical ward. They found it ironic that they were likely receiving better medical attention than their own village would have provided, and tried to do everything they could to cooperate and speed their recoveries. Orochimaru had ordered them to test Sasuke, preferably during the second exam, and they had failed to do so. Once the preliminary matches disqualified all three of them from further participation, it was an open question whether he would let them survive this failure. All three were trying to think of some way they could prove their usefulness and survive the coming battle. The fact that they couldn't even talk to each other about the matter was even more frustrating.

After carefully considering what they did know, however, all three reached a single conclusion; they would likely need to leave the Leaf Village soon, or else remain prisoners here for the long-term.

…

Kabuto's part in Orochimaru's masterstroke was nearly done, but he had other tasks. He maintained surveillance on various persons of interest and coordinated his teammates, along with a few other undercover assets Orochimaru had placed in the Leaf Village. He relished the role of spymaster, and cared little for the recognition of anyone except Orochimaru himself.

At the same time, part of him was dearly hoping that he could secure a promotion to chuunin without damaging his cover. Genin missions could be unbearably boring.

…

The Leaf ninjas tasked with guarding the guests from various other nations were working hard to ensure there were no holes in their security. Their job was a difficult one, since they had to ensure the guests' safety and make certain that the visitors did not threaten the village at the same time.

The visitors themselves were a mixed lot; some ninjas, some lords, a few particularly wealthy merchants, and some who were there as observers on behalf of wealthier individuals who lived too far away to make the journey practical, or who did not feel they could spare the time from their own affairs. Most important were the representatives from the participating villages; even if their candidates didn't reach the finals, they were entitled to watch.

ANBU always had a difficult time trying to spot the foreign spies among the honest visitors; this event was significant enough that every major nation (and most of the minor ones) was likely to send in at least one spy disguised as a potential client, hired observer, or recreational spectator. They were fairly certain they had already spotted two from the Water Country; a man and woman who were acting like a married couple. Those two weren't trying very hard to hide, and didn't seem to intend to do anything more sinister than walking around the public areas of the village and watching the finals in person, though it was always possible they were there as a distraction from another agent. The rest were proving more elusive this season.

It was impossible to track every single visitor effectively, especially since their arrival times were staggered over weeks. Many of the groups of visitors interacted, as well, adding to the complexities. There was nothing particularly suspicious about a few Sand ninjas buying something from a merchant who shared their home country. As a result, ANBU didn't notice that the four who went out to the village's market returned to their quarters with one item they had not paid for; a small scroll.

"They have been at peace too long," one Sand ninja remarked to his comrades once they were safely away from all observation. "The Kazekage would never allow foreign ninjas to go unobserved in the heart of our village."

They never realized that three of the "visitors" in the building across the street were women of the Hyuuga clan's branch families. The women had worn veils when they arrived and kept them on whenever they left the building, which was infrequently; one of them had come down with a bad – and wholly fictional – cold. That conveniently required them to stay indoors, where their Byakugan allowed them to observe the Sand ninjas thoroughly and unobtrusively at all times. The women considered it a fairly easy assignment, and it was even a bit fun to wear disguises in order to sneak into their own village to spy on Sand ninjas; the irony appealed to them.

They noticed the scroll as the Sand ninjas were unpacking, and noted it in their next report. Because one of them was an expert at reading lips, they also noted the Sand ninja's words, which raised significant concerns among the Leaf's leadership.

ANBU's top individuals (only a few people alive even knew if they were men or women) considered the man's slip a clear instance of sloppiness. Obviously the Sand ninjas had not trained sufficiently in mastering the dangers of peace. No Leaf spy would ever have spoken that way inside the walls of another village, even if he believed the location to be secure.

It was just a disgrace to the craft.

Soon, a number of quiet orders were given throughout the Leaf Village. Unfortunately, knowing something was going to happen only helped to a limited extent, without specifics. The Sand ninjas were professional enough that they avoided compounding their mistake, which left the Leaf unable to do much more than move some of their forces to a higher state of readiness. Still, it would make a difference.

…

"What do you think?" the Hokage asked his former student.

"I don't know," Jiraiya replied, shaking his head. "I've never fully understood Orochimaru, and that's still true. I thought I might have, once, but he's spent years proving me wrong. He might try to stage a distraction and snatch the boy, or he might try something else entirely. That's part of the trouble when dealing with madmen; they're not predictable."

The Hokage puffed on his pipe. "I think whatever he intends is something more than a simple abduction, but I can't say what for certain. And now we have a troubling report about our guests from the Sand Village. Sometimes I think having a little information is worse than being entirely ignorant," he mused aloud.

Jiraiya smiled slightly at that. "You know I've tried to keep track of Orochimaru over the years, but he's too slick. It took a while for me to even suspect that he might be affiliated with the Sound Village, and now all of a sudden he doesn't seem to care if we know?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Are you so certain he did not simply make a mistake by letting those three enter the exam? They may have let slip that they work for Orochimaru, but that could have been an oversight on his part."

Jiraiya gave him a frank look. "You taught us all better operational security than that when we were Genin, sensei. And as much as I'd love to believe Orochimaru is slipping, I find it more likely that he decided he doesn't care if we know, or that he has decided we must have known already. Which could mean that he's planning something more than maneuvering."

"He has not struck directly at the village in all the years since he left," the Hokage said quietly. "Even now part of me wants to believe that he will not do it."

Jiraiya looked at him sharply, but his tone was kinder. "He was afraid of Minato, and had other projects. But now time has passed, and he commands a village. He's always considered himself your rightful successor. If he can't have your position, I can see him trying to topple it, especially now that he has others to lead in such a fight. On top of that," Jiraiya continued, "you're getting older, sensei. I think he might be particularly prone to underestimating his elders."

"Yes," the Hokage sighed regretfully, "there is that factor. If anyone would consider my age a weakness, it would be Orochimaru."

"We should prepare for the worst," Jiraiya said quietly. "You know as well as I do that just because someone has acted quietly in the past doesn't mean he will continue to do so."

The Hokage thought silently for a moment. "If the worst should befall me, you will take care of the boy and the village," he said. It was neither a question nor a command; rather, it was a statement of fact.

"I will," Jiraiya promised solemnly. "But don't get ahead of yourself, sensei."

…

END CHAPTER


	12. Cutting Words, Piercing Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

The morning of the finals, Kankurou and Temari woke early, feeling restless. The pair didn't speak as they checked and re-checked their weapons, anxious about what was coming. They couldn't deviate from their routines much for fear of tipping off any observers, so they were stuck in their quarters. They ate a light breakfast, and then checked their equipment a third time.

The hours before the finals passed slowly, and they tried to rest, knowing that too much stress now would impede their performance – and possibly survival – later. The fact that their father would literally have the best seat from which to see them in action didn't help; the Kazekage was a stern figure of authority in their lives, one who demanded perfection from his children. They longed for his approval, even as they hated what he had made of their younger sibling's life.

Gaara seemed no different, as far as they could tell. He didn't even seem as bloodthirsty as they had expected, but it wasn't always easy to read his moods, so they took nothing for granted.

Eventually, the time came. It was comforting to slip into the personas they had worn throughout their stay in the Leaf Village, in a way. Kankurou and Temari wore faces of pride and strength, certain of their own powers.

As they approached the stadium, they felt anything but certain.

…

"Kazekage, welcome to the Leaf Village," Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted his equal. "It is not often we see each other. I hope you will find your stay satisfying."

"It is fortunate that the Leaf is hosting this event," the Kazekage replied. "At your age, surely travel would be an inconvenience."

"Please, you know what they say about old ninjas," the Hokage answered with a small laugh. "I expect I'll keep this job for a few more years yet. I find the work invigorating, and retirement was so dull."

"You must be proud to have so many of your own in the finals," the Kazekage suggested. "A strong showing for the Leaf, even more so than usual."

"You should be the proud one, Kazekage," the Hokage rebutted. "Your three children have all reached the finals their first time entering the exams. An accomplishment for any father. The youngest seems especially talented."

"It is gratifying to see one's efforts have not gone to waste," the Kazekage admitted grudgingly. His face was wholly covered by a veil except for the eyes, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had years of experience reading people in and out of combat, whether they were honest or liars, trained or amateur, emotional or in the grip of cold reason. He sensed little fatherly emotion in the man in front of him. The Kazekage was known for his iron exterior and complete, single-minded focus on the state of the hidden village under his care, and the man seemed to have softened little in the years since they had last seen each other.

"I hear there are several from prominent clans among your finalists," the Kazekage continued as they sat down. "Some of them are quite young as well. I'm curious to see how the Leaf's training standards have fared recently – purely to know the value of my allies, of course," he clarified.

"I'm certain you won't be disappointed," the Hokage told him.

…

Yamanaka Ino walked into the arena proudly and received a few cheers from family members, friends, and regular customers at her family's shop. Haruno Sakura was close behind her. She was less well-known and received fewer cheers but noted a loud one coming from Mitarashi Anko, who grinned at her from the seats. The jounin was obviously completely unconcerned with the people around her (or their eardrums) and a few glared at her for a moment after her exclamation. As she refocused on her competitors, Sakura took a minute to glance at Ino's spear. She hadn't even realized her friend had been training in the weapon's use, and now found herself trying to figure out how it would change their coming match. If Ino had developed that new skill, she might have others, as well. Ino saw her gaze and gave her a friendly, challenging smirk.

Aburame Shino received no cheers as he walked silently to join the other candidates, though he had no doubt about his clan's approval of his performance. His father and mother had both praised him quietly for reaching the finals during his first attempt at the chuunin exams, as had other family members, and several were seated in a bloc in one part of the stadium to lend their silent support. Similarly, Kurenai-sensei and his teammates had expressed both confidence in his abilities and their wishes for him to succeed.

Shikamaru's arrival was so low-key that it was almost a form of stealth in and of itself. Like Shino, he didn't wave to anyone in the seats above, or smile at his family. His shoulders were hunched slightly as he joined his peers, whom he seemed to regard with disinterest approaching boredom. Still, he was polite enough to answer with his own greetings when someone else spoke to him. His father looked on with amusement and his mother with fond frustration, shaking her head slightly at his apparent attitude.

Among the teachers and more senior ninjas watching, Kurenai was proud, Asuma was smug and Kakashi was somehow gloating in total silence, even with his mask covering his face. To have one student reach the finals so early in their career was an unusual success; for two to make it this far justified significant pride. For three rookies to reach the finals, however, was an extremely rare accomplishment. Several people had increased their estimate of Kakashi's teaching ability. Maito Gai, while cheerful, wasn't the sort to gloat. That was one reason people tended to like him despite his eccentricities.

Team 7's success wasn't shocking to the informed, but neither was the general surprise. Sakura had been among the brightest in the academy, particularly when it came to mental subjects, but students like that often washed out as genin, joining the intelligence division, the medical corps, or one of the other groups that contributed without going on field missions. She was from a little-known family and neither of her parents were ninjas, both of which were often indicators of success, so those who didn't know her personally were likely to judge by those factors and be misled as a result. The only ones who weren't really surprised at all (except for her peers and Kakashi) were Umino Iruka and the Hokage himself, neither of whom made a point of mentioning it.

For Uzumaki Naruto to reach the finals in his first chuunin exam was a shock to many. It was widely known (although such information was not technically supposed to be spread around) that his academy grades had been abysmal. The fact that he had been assigned to Hatake Kakashi encouraged many to anticipate his departure from the career of ninja even more strongly; while Kakashi wasn't exactly a public figure in town, there were some rumors that he had failed many previous teams of genin, sending them back to the academy or on to other lives.

No one was surprised that Uchiha Sasuke had made it, although that was based mostly on the fact that he was an Uchiha and their own desire to see the once-proud clan, which had been a symbol of the village's strength and power, rise again. People wanted to live in a world where the Uchiha clan's strength would support and protect them, so they chose to believe in and expect that outcome.

As the two boys of Team 7 entered, Sasuke was greeted by a number of cheers, which he did not bother acknowledging. He scarcely knew the people cheering, and so regarded their enthusiasm as completely unimportant. The last Uchiha cared little for that sort of acknowledgment anyway; his own experience with Itachi suggested that public acclaim had little to do with truth and everything to do with fleeting perceptions.

Naruto smiled back at the few who cheered at him. Iruka was the loudest, though there were one or two more, including Maito Gai; he had no reservations about anything, and had cheered every candidate as they entered, although he was louder for the Leaf ninjas and loudest for his own student, Rock Lee. He restrained himself when it came to Neji, as he knew the young man would not appreciate exuberance on his behalf. The measure was characteristic of Gai, and was one of the reasons he had his most talented student's respect despite their completely different personalities.

Lee and Neji entered together, a portrait of contrasts. The Hyuuga was a picture of stoicism, presenting a professional face as he walked in and nodded respectfully toward the Hokage and Kazekage, then toward the head of his clan. His face betrayed nothing except focus. Lee, on the other hand, was nearly skipping in delight. His face clearly displayed his excitement and joy, and he greeted all of the other Leaf ninjas cheerfully, wishing them luck and saying that he hoped they would have a "challenging, youthful match" if he faced any of them after the first round. Some noticed that he had a pair of tonfa attached to his belt, whereas he had been weaponless earlier in the exams. He was even polite to the Sand ninjas, although he left them alone once their preference for silence became obvious.

Kabuto was a bit like Neji, though he looked more like a professional and less like someone hiding his emotions to those able to read people. His face was that of someone who was emotionally detached, rather than emotionally controlled; no doubt a mark of his greater experience.

Finally, the three Sand ninjas were standing slightly apart. Gaara was looking at nothing, ignoring the spectacle. His two siblings indicated their respect for the two kages immediately upon entering, then moved to his side, where they waited with apparent patience.

The cheering and applause soon died down, and then it was time to start.

…

Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji faced each other, only a small distance between them. Neji looked certain, while Naruto was plainly eager.

"Begin," the exam proctor instructed, stepping back.

"Now you will see the truth," Neji said as he assumed his stance.

"Your eyes aren't as sharp as you think," Naruto replied, preparing himself. "How clearly can you see through this?"

As he finished speaking, he called a squad of shadow clones into existence, swapping positions with one before the smoke of their creation dissipated completely.

Neji was unsurprised; Naruto had used the technique in the preliminaries. He was confident that he could defeat Naruto alone or with a few copies, although the ploy still had merit. Even his eyes could not distinguish the shadow clones from the original, since all possessed chakra and substance.

A number of the spectators were surprised, however. The shadow clone technique was not used often even by those who had reached jounin rank, and Naruto had produced five copies casually. A few began to feel their interest in the match growing.

The clones spread out, circling and approaching Neji from all sides. While Naruto understood the Byakugan's abilities intellectually, he'd never fought a Hyuuga one-on-one, so he started by testing Neji's defenses, trying to force his opponent to reveal his skills.

Neji was confident and happy to oblige. The way he moved through the attacks was almost artistic; he flowed around a punch, under a kick, and then slid behind one clone, leaving it between himself and the others. The moment their coordinated attack faltered, he struck back. His hands darted between targets, striking with economy of motion that managed to achieve grace. Each clone was struck only once, hard enough to disperse it.

As he finished the fifth, Neji turned toward the real Naruto and advanced, quickly closing the gap between them.

Among the spectators, several were expecting to see the match end right then and there.

Before Neji could cover the distance, Naruto had created another ten shadow clones. The eleven figures circled Neji and began throwing shuriken intermittently, avoiding any pattern. They moved around him in a ring but didn't try to close in this time, instead keeping their distance from Neji and each other. Now he couldn't approach any one clone without at least two others throwing at him, and dodging the weapons was preventing him from striking back. Neji's keen eyes were able to determine that one of the figures seemed to be keeping its distance even more than the others, and he formulated his own plan to strike back.

Naruto was trying to decide how to corner Neji and using the clones as a stalling tactic in the meantime, a way to corral his opponent and limit his options. He was surprised when the boy abruptly broke off his pursuit of one clone to target one on the other side of the circle. That charge turned out to be a feint, however, and Neji quickly threw a spread of shuriken at the lone Naruto that was hanging back, behind the others.

He looked a bit surprised when that clone dispersed; apparently he had thought it was the real one. Naruto felt almost insulted; he'd been using the shadow clone technique for long enough now that setting up such a decoy was an obvious measure. Besides, he wasn't afraid to get up close and do his own dirty work.

He attempted to capitalize on Neji's apparent surprise, and the circle closed tighter, with three clones trying to get to close range.

Neji recovered quickly, however. He spun around the first clone, deflecting the figure into the path of a second. He then continued to spin, and a moment later released chakra in a sphere around his body, creating a controlled explosion of kinetic force that tossed the figures surrounding him away and popped most of the clones.

Naruto determined that only two of his clones remained, having been far enough from the technique. Neji ended it quickly, to avoid giving his opponent time to analyze his defense in action and keep from wasting chakra.

The two combatants took a moment to gather themselves, sizing each other up once more based on their new experiences.

The stalemate lasted only seconds, and Neji broke it first. He moved for the closest of the three Narutos and struck it hard, then went for the second. That figure's eyes narrowed as it threw a spread of shuriken to force Neji to dodge, and then used the replacement technique to shift behind him, further away from the third Naruto.

Neji didn't slow for a moment, immediately adjusting so that the third Naruto, now the closest, would be the object of his charge.

That one threw a kunai with an explosive note wrapped around the handle, and Neji barely reacted in time to dodge. As he did so, Naruto once again called forth more clones, spreading out to surround his opponent as he had before.

This time, there were a total of twenty figures. Some were retreating beyond the distance that would be affected by Neji's spinning defense, but five charged him again. Naruto pushed himself to keep up the pressure, never allowing Neji to nail down which of the figures was his true opponent.

…

A number of bets had already been lost just because the match had gone on for more than two minutes. The Hyuuga spectators were amazed to see that Neji had mastered one of their most powerful techniques on his own. The spinning defense, called Kaiten, was taught to relatively few within the clan. Even knowing the theory behind it, for Neji to re-invent it successfully without assistance was further proof of his genius.

The only greater shock was the fact that he hadn't won yet. Uzumaki Naruto was being reassessed by many as he sent scores of clones at his opponent. Several watching ninjas began to suspect that he was simply trying to wear Neji out by forcing him to expend chakra to power his Kaiten. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Naruto himself must have a high chakra capacity, which might make the tactic worthwhile. Some of those who knew the reason for his resources were a bit concerned, though most admired the fact that he seemed willing to trade ruthlessly on his strengths. Ninjas were pragmatists at heart, when it came to combat, and advantages existed to be exploited.

The other candidates were watching the match in rapt silence, trying to take in everything for their own use in the immediate future, since they might have to face one of the pair if they won their own matches.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed when Naruto produced clones for the fourth time, though only Sarutobi Hiruzen was sharp enough to notice the very faint reaction. The Hokage himself was quite interested, since he was seeing each of the participants reveal skills they had not previously shown. It was clear that they were pushing each other.

A collective gasp went up from the crowd as Neji seemed to falter for a moment out of fatigue. Three figures closed in on him immediately, trying to take advantage of the lapse. He fought them off, but his reactions looked a hair slower than before.

Neji's teammates and his uncle were slightly puzzled for a moment, but no one else knew him well enough to see what was wrong.

Neji cleared some space around himself but placed a foot poorly afterward, and for a second his balance looked shaky.

In that second, one Naruto charged toward him from the side. Two others were behind him, but the figure in front looked more focused.

Neji had been waiting for that difference. There was only a slight variation in facial expression, but the Naruto who was closest now was eager in a way the others weren't. He recovered from his false stumble, the grace returning to his movements. As the three figures drew near, he crouched low and extended his arms, assuming a new stance.

Hyuuga Hinata gasped, and others from his clan looked on in shock and disbelief. For him to discover Kaiten was one thing, but this was something else. That stance had a very specific meaning, to the few who could recognize it.

Naruto saw that his opponent had been exaggerating his fatigue and realized he had been lured out from among his clones, but it was too late to back out now. Several of his clones seemed to realize the error as well, and were closing in to support him.

Before they could act, Neji moved. His arms and hands seemed impossibly fast as he struck Naruto repeatedly, hitting him in the chest, arms and legs. Naruto lost count of the number of strikes, but he soon realized what had happened when he tried to use chakra to speed his movement and found himself unable to do so. Somehow, in a matter of seconds, Neji had closed every single chakra emission point on his body.

Neji stood tall and quickly dispatched the clones which were coming to their creator's aid; he felt no rush to finish his opponent now, and was confident that the clones he destroyed would not be replaced this time.

It took Naruto a moment to recover and get up. He felt…a lot like someone who had just been hit repeatedly, he mused, wincing. He molded some chakra and tried to form a few new clones to make certain that his guess had been correct, and found he could not complete the technique.

Neji was finishing off the last of the clones and turned back to face him again.

"Now it is over," he proclaimed. "You may have skills, but you were destined to taste defeat here."

Naruto felt himself growing irritated.

"I haven't lost," he told Neji. "I'm going to prove you wrong, and I'll keep making the point until you shut up about fate. I don't believe in fate. Even if I did, there's no way you can see it more clearly than the rest of us."

With that, Naruto let his eyes half-close for a moment. He split his attention between watching Neji and focusing on a particular sensation that had grown familiar over the past month of preparation.

Neji and a few others who were in a position to see were surprised when red chakra began to leak from Naruto in small amounts. Most spectators had no idea what he was doing, but they could see him stand a bit straighter and begin to breathe more easily.

Once he had centered himself, Naruto smiled at Neji.

"Shadow clone technique," he said, creating four more copies of himself. "You don't know as much as you think," he told his opponent, relishing the look of shock on his face. "About fate or me."

"That's impossible," Neji said aloud. "I sealed all of your chakra release points. How can you use that technique?"

Naruto kept smiling. Tactically, he supposed he should be capitalizing on his opponent's surprise, but there was more at stake here than a match, so he waited.

Neji was shaken; his most powerful non-fatal means of neutralizing opponents had just proven ineffective. He couldn't figure out why. What did it mean?

After a few long moments he gave up the search for an answer, deciding that he would have to look into this problem after the match. For now, he'd have to use more conventional means to achieve victory.

When the battle resumed, it was Naruto who set the pace. He hammered at his opponent's defenses with large numbers of shuriken, clones and explosive notes, forcing Neji to use his Kaiten several more times. Soon the young genius was tiring for real, and somehow Naruto's endurance seemed boundless.

"You know what I think of all your talk about destiny?" one of Naruto's clones asked before it was destroyed.

"I think it's all crap," a second continued.

"If fate determined everything, then there would be no reason to hate the way you do, or to do anything," a third said. "Our choices matter, whether we win or not."

"That's why you're going to lose," Naruto told Neji. "Because you think the future is fixed. I'm willing to work to change it."

Neji was far slower now; he hadn't taken his opponent seriously enough at the very beginning, and by the time he realized his mistake Naruto had already begun to wear him down. When Naruto finally closed in to deal the finishing blow, it seemed anticlimactic to most of those watching. They had expected Neji to win at the beginning, but it had long since become obvious that the tide had turned.

Neji was nearly unable to stand from exhaustion as Naruto arrived, three of him kicking and punching together. He blocked a kick at his head, slid to his left to avoid several punches to his torso, and failed to completely avoid the next strike, a kick to his leg. His sight was as good as ever but fatigue had dulled his reaction times and he did not have enough chakra to use Kaiten anymore.

Neji tried to strike back and managed to hit one of the three figures in the shoulder. The shadow clone did not disperse; the attack had been weak enough that the replica could survive it. It grabbed Neji's hand and tried to secure it behind his back to gain leverage.

Neji could feel his muscles being overpowered and tripped the clone with one leg. He rolled to his feet as the figure popped, but even he knew it was over by now. Part of him couldn't accept it, despite the clarity of the situation. He felt almost disconnected from reality until Naruto knocked him unconscious, finally ending the match.

…

The medics announced that Neji's wounds were not serious before they bore him off the field, and some of the crowd began to cheer for Naruto's victory. He could hear and see the enthusiasm from Iruka-sensei in the stands. Kakashi was less vocal, but he saw approval in his teacher's face when he located him in the crowd, and couldn't help grinning back.

He was too caught up in the moment for it to happen right away, but later he would look back and wonder at the fact that they had been cheering for _him_. He had always wanted it, but part of him had thought it might never happen.

The Hyuuga watchers were quiet. Neji's hatred of the main family was not unique, but he tried to hide it less than most, and it remained a sore topic, as it had been for generations. While it had not been raised directly, his bitterness and firm belief in fate were strong reminders nonetheless. Some among the younger branch family members were showing signs of following his lead and chafing openly at the main family's superior position, while many older clan members were disapproving of his attitude, encouraging Hiashi to discipline the boy for his conduct when it toed the line. Hiashi said little, noting that the boy was obedient and performed his duties respectfully. Many in the clan had differing ideas of his opinions, though most adults at least respected him for staying above the petty personal aspects of it. Some of the older ones whispered that he was too lenient in remembrance of his brother, but none had yet dared to say so to his face.

It was with mixed feelings, therefore, that the clan members in attendance watched Hyuuga Hiashi, the current clan head, rise from his seat and head toward the medical area. He said nothing as he left, except to order a nearby branch family member to keep an eye on Hanabi, his younger daughter, who had attended the exams with him.

…

Naruto rejoined the other candidates to some interesting reactions. Shikamaru was eyeing him speculatively, Shino glanced at him in silence, and the three Sand ninjas all seemed to be re-evaluating him as well. The one with the gourd was looking at him intensely enough that he quickly broke eye contact.

"You were great, Naruto," Sakura said with a smile. "You definitely surprised him."

"He surprised me!" Ino said. "I can't believe you aren't exhausted. You wore him down, and Neji was tough!"

Naruto grinned. "Hey, I haven't been wasting my time. I trained like crazy to beat that guy."

"I am truly amazed, Naruto-kun," Lee told him enthusiastically. "I have worked for many months to surpass Neji. For you to defeat him shows your ability. If we face each other in the finals, we will surely test ourselves and battle without regret!"

"It may not have been fast, but you definitely held on to the upper hand for most of the end," Sasuke acknowledged. "I think I'm looking forward to fighting you in the second round," he said, a smile growing on his face. "You're worth fighting, now."

"I'm not going to lose to you easily anymore, Sasuke," Naruto replied, his own grin still firmly in place. "Things have changed since the academy. You'll have to work for it if you want to beat me."

The conversation ended a bit abruptly when the proctor called down Sasuke and Kankurou for their match, although Shikamaru and Shino did offer their own congratulations before it began.

…

Neji woke quickly once Hiashi arrived to see him, almost as if he sensed his uncle's presence while unconscious. With his agreement, the two were quickly and quietly granted privacy in the room.

They regarded each other in silence for a few moments, until Hiashi let out a heavy sigh. Despite his fatigue, Neji was surprised to see his uncle seem to shed the face he typically wore as the head of the clan. He sensed that he was speaking now to the man who filled the role, rather than the role itself.

"I have failed you, and your father," Hiashi said without preamble. He looked at Neji, considering him. "When my brother died, I adopted you in the hope that I might be able to atone, in part, for the unfair burden you and he bore, but I have not been any sort of father to you in the years since. For that I must apologize, both to you and to him."

"He did his duty," Neji answered bitterly, "no more and no less. For you to apologize disrespects his sacrifice."

"He volunteered to die in my place," Hiashi replied. "I did not demand it. I said we should go to war rather than sacrifice any of our number to placate the scheming traitors of the Village Hidden by Clouds, but the elders counseled otherwise. When he said he would die for the sake of preserving our fragile peace, I objected, but he would not listen." Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "I could have stopped him with the seal, but that would have required killing him anyway; he was always a determined man."

"So you would have me believe that my father abandoned me of his own will, while you reluctantly found yourself forced to bear the privilege of power and a longer life?" Neji asked sarcastically. "Forgive me if I am not instantly persuaded."

"He died so that you, the clan, and the whole village would be spared a war," Hiashi said in a stern tone. "You accuse me of disrespecting your father when your own words deny him his due. He was not forced to die, no. He did not go as a coward, begging for mercy, or a man grudgingly performing a duty. He chose death knowing that it would mean others would live. He spent his life to buy you a childhood without war, and if you had ever seen a war or been a father you would have more respect for that choice. No fate compelled him, except the duty of every man to serve to the best of his ability. He was a strong fighter, but sometimes that is not what is needed. The village needed a sacrifice, and so he became one."

Neji blinked once, but his face was still as stone.

"You have cursed your fate, but I had no more choice than my brother when he was branded with the seal; we were children, and we obeyed our elders as we had been taught," Hiashi said quietly. "The Hyuuga clan has been this way for generations, and I have upheld this tradition because I felt it was _my_ duty. Unlike my brother, I lacked the courage to judge for myself. I never considered changing the clan in any way, until he died." Hiashi looked Neji in the eyes. "Tell me: if you had the choice, what would you have the Hyuuga become?"

"Do you taunt me now?" Neji asked. "What I want is nothing before our _traditions_."

"What if it were otherwise?" Hiashi insisted. "The old say that tradition has kept our clan strong for years and should be trusted. Some of the young say that it is foolishness, and point to you as an example. You carry our bloodline's gifts more strongly than any of your generation, and possibly mine as well. Leadership has always been the province of the powerful, and your power cannot be denied. Tell me, then. What would you make of the Hyuuga?"

Neji was silent for a time, and Hiashi waited. They sat for a minute, then two as the quiet stretched out.

"If you are so virtuous, why did you not die yourself?" Neji finally asked. "Why let my father take your place?"

"He bore the seal," Hiashi began quietly.

"Your eyes could have been sealed before your death," Neji answered. "The enemy still would not have gained the Byakugan."

_You should have died instead of my father_, his face and tone shouted silently.

"He bore the seal his whole life," Hiashi elaborated. "If anyone will understand, it should be you. As we grew out of childhood, we too wrestled with the questions you have faced and found no easy answers. But consider this: I was the head of the Hyuuga clan, and yet his death was neither something I wished, nor something I could prevent. The powerful wear gilded chains, unlike the powerless, but they are often constrained nonetheless." Hiashi paused, gathering his thoughts. "The elders would never accept the loss of the clan's head in such a fashion, though they were willing to sacrifice a branch family member. I don't call it justice. My brother escaped our chains in a way even I could not, and found the freedom in death that he was denied in life."

Neji regarded him again, face as much a mask as it usually was. "Why tell me all this now and not before?"

"You were a child before, and one who had just lost his father," Hiashi said. He sighed once again. "I take no pleasure in lingering over the bitter past. I tried to move forward, beyond it, but instead the poison in our family has festered. The truth, Neji, is that I have never known how to tell you, or whether you were prepared to understand. And like most men, I prefer not to discuss my guilt or my failures. But the time has come when I cannot put it aside any longer. I fear for our clan if I do not act, and I dare not face my brother in the next life without making some attempt to remedy what I have failed to do in this one. So now I ask for your thoughts, as both your uncle and the head of your clan. What should become of the Hyuuga? I can no longer fail to ask the question, but I am not wise enough to find the answer on my own."

The silence stretched as Neji wrestled with his uncle's words and his own thoughts.

"You twist everything," Neji finally spat angrily. "The head of the proud Hyuuga clan. Of course you can act humbly here, in private. Where no one is watching, or listening. But we both know that as long as this remains," he tore off his forehead protector, revealing the seal beneath, "my opinion is nothing. You could end my life with a whim, just as you did my father's. You think I will forget this? An apology years later and some pretense of guilt is not enough. If you regret, then choke on it. Drown in it until your corpse lies in the ground. I owe you my service, and I will not fail my obligations any more than my father did. But if you seek forgiveness, Hiashi-_sama_," the honorific twisted like a knife, "remember that I do not owe you that. Command me or leave me be, but don't expect me to dine on this banquet of lies and thank you for the feast!"

He was nearly screaming as he finished speaking, and the young man glared at the older. He hid none of his hate, practically daring his uncle to discipline him for the disrespect as he never had before, the bile of years pouring out in seconds.

Hiashi closed his eyes, his face twisting with grief and guilt, but he said nothing.

Neji looked on, breathing heavily, eyes accusing as he awaited his uncle's response.

Hiashi could not push his doubts aside. Had he waited too long to speak, let too many years pass? Yet how could Neji have understood right away, when he was only a child who had just lost his father? Had there simply been no hope from the start? Was the clan truly doomed to hatred?

He saw a brief vision of the Uchiha compound filled with bodies, but in the waking nightmare behind his eyelids it became his own clan's home. He saw Hanabi as the last Hyuuga, eyes wide, cowering in terror with a stone-faced Neji standing over her, spattered with the blood of Hiashi's own corpse. Her sister lay on the ground next to her, motionless and pale in death.

A mighty clan reduced to a single survivor by one boy's hate.

He felt like the greatest fool ever to live. How had he waited so long? History taught harsh lessons, but somehow he had been blind to this one, now so clear in his mind.

Hiashi lifted his bowed head to look his nephew in the eyes once again.

"I deserve your hatred," he said, "and I accept it. But I ask you one more time, Neji, I beg you, to consider another path. Many in our clan have lived their lives in bitter certainty. However he died, your father cared for you. He would not want you to live in such a fashion. To live in hate is not your inescapable destiny. Your father paid with his life to buy you a chance at something more. He entrusted me with your life, and I alone bear that responsibility. If the clan must change to survive, help me see the way forward. And if you cannot look beyond your hate, then let it lie on me, where it belongs, and help the clan grow beyond my ability to guide it."

Neji remained silent once again. He had used up all the words he could find, and now he clung tightly to the feelings that remained behind, but they provided no stable foundation. Though he had shouted his anger for the first time, it was no weaker within him; it burned where it had lain cold for years, and for half a breath he wanted to attack the old fool in front of him, to provoke something beyond apologies and reason. At the same time, he could not quiet the doubts that he held even closer than his anger.

Hyuuga Hiashi saw the glaring eyes and clenched fists, and stepped forward, arms apart. He knelt in front of his adopted son, looking up at him.

"What do you truly want, Neji?" he asked. "You've spent years driving yourself, but I'm not certain you know the goal."

Still Neji had nothing to say.

After a minute Hiashi rose and began to leave, but he turned back at the door to make one more attempt.

"You say I should choke on my regret," Hiashi said. "But you are drowning in your hate just as surely, and that is your choice, not anyone else's. Your hate has carried you far, but today it failed against an opponent who drew on a greater force. There are things that even our eyes cannot reveal, and today you were shown that fate is one of them. Your father lived before he died, Neji. If you continue as you are, you will not, and he will have died for nothing. Please do not let that happen. Do not let that be his legacy."

With that, he left Neji alone. When he returned to his seat among the other spectators, he was silent and his face was the impassive mask of the Hyuuga clan's leader.

Neji could not stop his thoughts from racing. His enthusiastic opponent's words and those of his uncle both troubled him, and he barely noticed when the medics returned to check on him. After they were done, he lay there for a minute more before rising and walking out. He remained lost in thought, but purpose guided his feet.

…

When Sasuke and Kankurou entered the arena for the second match, there were many loud cheers. The Sand ninja was a bit surprised to see that his opponent didn't seem to care for the accolades, and increased his estimate of the younger man's professionalism a bit. If he had gotten cheers like that back home, he would have reacted.

Sasuke had noticed, of course, but tuned out the crowd. There were a few opinions he valued. His teammates had expressed their confidence in his skills, as had Kakashi. The other Leaf rookies who reached the finals had been polite, and clearly considered him a serious opponent. The Hokage himself and Orochimaru had both indicated that he was capable, and those were some of the most dangerous men alive. As for the tournament, he would be glad to advance, but what he wanted most was strength, not leadership, so it was more important to him to test and improve his skills than to receive a promotion.

Still, he had no intention of losing to the puppeteer. He knew the Sand ninja could detach parts of his puppet and move them independently from watching his match in the preliminaries. He also knew that the puppet contained a number of concealed weapons, though he assumed he hadn't seen all of them during Kankurou's victory over Kiba.

On the other hand, Sasuke had been able to achieve proficiency with lightning techniques in the past month. His prior training had laid the groundwork, but he would have to assume that his opponent would have a new trick or two as well, even if Kakashi had said that his picking up nature manipulation so quickly was unusual.

When they got the word to begin, Sasuke immediately began to circle, trying to provoke a reaction.

Kankurou, meanwhile, was a bit distracted. Since he had been briefed on what was coming, he knew that his match was completely irrelevant, except as a means of occupying the attention of the spectators, including the Hokage. On the other hand, the last match had been a bit long, and it would probably be a good idea for him to end his own quickly, regardless of whether he won or lost.

With that in mind, he sent his puppet, Karasu, charging at Sasuke. As it closed in it revealed its many arms and the mouth opened, launching a volley of poisoned needles.

Sasuke had seen that weapon before, and knew that his opponent had to be aware of that fact, so he assumed the needles were intended only as a distraction. He dodged to his right, throwing three shuriken at Kankurou to keep him honest, and tried to watch both the puppet master and his weapon at the same time.

Kankurou jumped to one side, but his focus was mainly on his puppet. One of the mechanical creation's arms popped open as the left hand folded upward at the wrist, exposing the limb's hollowness, and a small container came shooting out. Smoke leaked from the sphere, which detonated as it neared Sasuke, obscuring him completely.

_That_ was a new weapon, and Sasuke immediately moved to avoid the smoke, retreating further from Kankurou. It was colored, and could well be poisonous rather than a mere distraction. His Sharingan could not distinguish whether it was potentially fatal or would only knock him out, so caution was a necessity. He barely managed to avoid breathing the smoke.

Kankurou was surprised at how immediately his enemy evaded the smoke cloud; he seemed to have begun reacting instantly, without any delay to process what was happening. Now Sasuke moved in a circle around the smoke, well clear of it. Kankurou sent his puppet in pursuit once more, again launching needles from its mouth in an attempt to box his enemy in, but Sasuke was too fast; he moved with enough speed that the civilian spectators' eyes were having trouble keeping up with him.

When Karasu was close enough, Sasuke quickly unleashed his grand fireball. A signature technique of the Uchiha, this was easily his best fire technique overall, and he poured a significant amount of chakra into it. The flames were nearly white in the center.

When the blast of flame cleared, Karasu stood slightly further away. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he saw that one arm was missing and a second was extended. It appeared to have some sort of markings on it, and glowed briefly with chakra, though that quickly subsided.

With his eyes, however, he had been able to see some of what had happened. His fire technique had hit, but the extended arm had flared with chakra as it did so, and seemed to shield the puppet from the flame.

Sasuke had assumed that something of the sort might happen. For Kankurou to bring a primarily wooden puppet to chuunin exams hosted in the Fire Nation, he would have to have prepared at least one defense mechanism against fire techniques or be a complete fool. The fact that he had managed to beat Kiba and Akamaru without revealing all of his puppet's tricks just underscored his ability. Still, it had been worth trying at least once.

Even if fire hadn't worked, brute force or lightning might suffice to destroy the puppet. It was durable, but it clearly wasn't indestructible.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure why one arm had been destroyed when the shield protected the rest. Could there be a weakness in the shield? If so, he might be able to win without revealing his new skills.

Both combatants stayed mobile as they analyzed each other and the results of their first exchange, plotting their next move. Once its shield stopped glowing with chakra, Karasu moved once more, again chasing Sasuke around the arena. For his part, the Leaf ninja tried to avoid being driven away from his opponent as he evaded the puppet. He seemed to be fleeing it until he suddenly reversed his motion, turning back toward Karasu and throwing two kunai with explosive notes attached. As the puppet dodged both, he was finishing the hand seals for a second fire technique. This time, he breathed small bursts of flame at both the puppet and Kankurou himself.

Kankurou tried to interpose his puppet to shield himself. It was almost too late when he noticed that Sasuke had somehow placed a third explosive note on the ground, directly under the position he was moving Karasu to. The whole thing had been a trap, designed to force the puppet to that one spot so it could be destroyed.

Kankurou's eyes narrowed and he separated the puppet into its component parts. The head and four arms broke off and dispersed while the other pieces retracted back into the armored torso, which protected them from the explosion. Kankurou narrowly dodged a burst of flame as splitting the puppet taxed his concentration.

Sasuke kept spitting fire, targeting the puppeteer and all of his weapons. He hoped that the distractions would cause a slip, allowing him to disable or destroy one or more of the revealed tools. His efforts were rewarded; whatever flame shielding was built into the puppet as a whole didn't seem to function perfectly when it was split into pieces, and two arms crumbled to ash under the heat of his flames. He saw long, thin blades dropping to the ground from each, and assumed that the remaining two arms were similarly equipped, dodging them carefully.

As he did so, he noticed that one appeared to be wet already, but not with blood. Poison, perhaps? Combined with the smoke from earlier, this might indicate that his opponent was a specialist in poisons and related matters. He noted that even Karasu's head, once detached, sprouted a blade from the neck. The torso looked battered after his explosive struck beneath it, but the parts were clearly functional as they unfolded once more now that the blast had ended.

Sasuke's Sharingan allowed him to clearly see the chakra strings that ran from the puppeteer's fingers to the objects he controlled, so he was not deceived when one of the arms appeared to fall to the ground after taking a glancing hit from his flame. The chakra string was clearly still connected, making Kankurou's next ploy obvious.

Still, this presented an opportunity. Sasuke allowed his opponent to keep him at bay for a few moments and then herd him toward the spot where the fallen arm remained. At the moment Kankurou shifted his focus to attacking with the arm, which was now to Sasuke's left and slightly behind him, he charged in, closing the distance between the two of them. The puppeteer's eyes widened and he tried to adjust his attack, bringing Karasu's pieces in from every side and retreating.

This was exactly what Sasuke had been waiting for. He watched his opponent's face and the chakra strings to track the progress of the attack, moving in a zig-zag pattern and pouring on the speed to get close. Just as Kankurou's face betrayed the slightest anticipation, he leapt into the air, turning to look behind him.

With his Sharingan helping him to perfectly track and time the movements of the puppet's components, he grabbed both arms and stabbed their blades into the torso, then twisted so they could not be easily freed. At the same time, he used the leverage he now had to twist Karasu's armored torso around, interposing it between himself and the puppet's head, which had been approaching from behind.

Kankurou's shock delayed his reactions for a split second. In that time, Sasuke slapped an explosive note onto the inside of the puppet's armored shell, gathered his chakra to his feet and leapt toward his opponent.

Kankurou realized that he had almost certainly lost, and that his puppet was on the brink of destruction as well. Remembering suddenly that winning this match was not important, he used one of Karasu's arms to grab the explosive note and pull it out of the armored core, throwing it to one side.

Sasuke arrived, kicking his opponent's shoulder and landing with a kunai in one hand, poised at Kankurou's throat.

"I surrender," the Sand ninja said immediately.

Sasuke waited to hear the proctor announce the match results before storing his blade and allowing his opponent to rise. He nodded once to Kankurou in acknowledgment, and then went to rejoin the other candidates, ignoring the wild cheers from the onlookers.

Kankurou gathered what was left of his puppet and sighed slightly. While he actually enjoyed maintaining and tweaking the puppets he used in battle, it was never pleasant to see them damaged, especially not when it was so thorough. That last trick with the explosive note had nearly destroyed the puppet's core, which allowed it to react to and be controlled by chakra strings.

More importantly, he wasn't looking forward to facing the rest of today with Karasu damaged. He might need those weapons later. Still, at least he had a few ideas for improvements based on that match.

"Aburame Shino and Nara Shikamaru, your match is next," the proctor called as Kankurou left the field. "Come down."

…

"Your elder son fought fairly well," Sarutobi Hiruzen said to the Kazekage in a polite tone. "I understand that the puppeteer's art is a difficult one to master, and taught to few."

"The last Uchiha was too much for him, it seems," the Kazekage replied evenly. "And I suspect he has not yet shown all of his skills. Your people will be happy to see that clan's strength has not all been lost, I expect.

"Perhaps," the Hokage answered. "It seems to me that people often overestimate the importance of bloodlines. We will have to see how he performs in his next match."

…

END CHAPTER


	13. Reactions

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

"So did you make any bets on the exam finals, Ibiki?" a Leaf chuunin asked the village's chief interrogator.

"Examiners aren't really encouraged to do that," the scarred man replied with a small smile.

The man grinned a bit. "Of course not, but it never stops anyone. Besides, no one cares unless you cheat. And you were only in charge of the first exam anyway."

"I may have placed a few small wagers," Ibiki admitted. "It was a pretty interesting crop this time; hard to resist."

"Did you bet on the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, like everyone else?" the man inquired, turning to look out past the village's perimeter wall as he did so.

"I only like interesting bets," Ibiki replied. "There's one Sand ninja that I think will be hell to beat, although I don't know if he'll get promoted, and a couple of ours who I think could make chuunin this time around, even if they don't win their matches."

"Sounds like fun," the third man on the guard tower chimed in. "Figures I've got watch duty when all the interesting stuff is happening. The last two chuunin exams I saw were boring."

"Well, you know how it is," Ibiki began, only to stop midsentence. He looked out at the forest below the village's wall, where he thought he had seen some movement.

"You see something?" one of his fellow guards asked, noticing his abrupt focus.

"I don't think so," Ibiki replied, though he kept looking. "Some rustling in the trees. I think it was just the birds."

As he spoke, one hand signaled his companions to be discreetly vigilant.

…

"That was careless," the Sound jounin berated his subordinate. "If you ever come close to giving our position away again, I'll kill you myself, do you understand?"

The young ninja following him nodded silently, his eyes betraying his nervousness. Once again, the detachment's leader wondered if they were truly prepared to attack the Leaf Village. Orochimaru-sama had overseen their preparations until recently, and he had briefed most of them on the terrain, but many of those in the attack force were young and lacked battle experience. The element of surprise could only carry them so far.

On the other hand, the man reminded himself, Orochimaru-sama had revealed the fact that they would be allied with the ninjas from the Hidden Village of Sand only at the last minute, and that shifted the nature of the battle a great deal, even if the number of Sand ninjas who would be participating in the attack was limited.

He buried his doubts and led his men forward.

All around the perimeter, squads and larger formations were moving into position, staying just out of range of the village's defenses and barely out of sight.

Meanwhile, in the village's center, the Sand ninjas ostensibly guarding the Kazekage's accommodations prepared their summoning scrolls. Their part of the plan was vital, and had to be carried out with precise timing to maximize the impact.

…

Jiraiya was sitting and thinking impatiently, certain that something would go wrong soon. The odd behavior from Sand and Orochimaru choosing to make what was almost an open declaration of war by showing himself in the Leaf Village would have been concerning even individually.

It had been nice to see Naruto win his match, using what he had taught. Something about watching a student succeed was amazing; a uniquely fulfilling feeling.

He'd missed it. Jiraiya had had a number of students over the years, but only one protégé.

It seemed he had begun taking on a second, without really thinking about it.

He soon found himself lost in memory as he sat on a rooftop in the center of town. After a bit, he got up to walk around and let his mind relax.

…

The third match had gotten off to a bit of a slow start. Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino had been moving around the arena, but neither was sprinting. Shikamaru had foiled at least three tactics meant to expose him to Shino's bugs, while Shino had been working to keep his distance and dodge his opponent's shadow. His attention to detail had made it difficult to distract him for long enough to create an opening, and he had already determined that Shikamaru could stretch his shadow as needed.

Both young men relied on their minds to win most battles, and were finding that rather difficult since they each knew the other's capabilities fairly well.

A number of the watchers held their breath as Shikamaru seemed to catch Shino with his shadow, preventing him from moving, but the suspense was broken when the insect clone broke apart. Shino's bugs charged after Shikamaru's retreating shadow, trying to latch on to him to drain his chakra, but met with no success; he retreated too quickly.

Then, Shikamaru suddenly tripped as he leapt awkwardly to one side to avoid a trap. Shino had placed the tripwire among the trees on one side of the arena while his bugs kept his opponent busy, but Shikamaru just barely managed to avoid it by using the tree itself to anchor one foot, then jumping off of it.

"Close one," Naruto remarked.

"They both seem determined to outthink each other," Lee commented, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Thinking too much can be a bad thing," Sasuke said critically. "They're too reluctant to make a decisive move. Risks can't be avoided completely."

Ino's eyes narrowed as Shikamaru dodged the trap, and she cocked her head to one side, but she said nothing. He was her teammate, after all; it wouldn't really be appropriate to tell them that she was fairly certain he had seen the trap a minute ago. Subtlety and tactics were his mainstay, and she didn't want to sabotage his chances in the second round by alerting the other candidates that he was smarter than he looked.

The watching candidates were distracted by the return of Hyuuga Neji.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said, "may I speak with you for a moment?"

Naruto looked at him in surprise for a few seconds before nodding. "Sure, of course. What is it?"

Neji's eyes flicked to the others. "This way, please," he requested, heading into the hallway.

Naruto followed him a bit warily, while Sakura frowned and Sasuke watched expressionlessly. Could he be holding a grudge?

Neji continued far enough down the hallway that they could speak without being overheard, then turned to face Naruto.

"Did you mean what you said about becoming the Hokage and changing the Hyuuga clan?" he asked.

"I was serious, yeah," Naruto answered. "I wouldn't joke about that."

Neji looked at him, considering and evaluating. Naruto was a bit uncomfortable; Neji's regard was intense, and its purpose unclear.

"I will help you," Neji said abruptly. "We will see if you can become Hokage. And if you do, we will see if you keep your promises."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment he was shocked to speechlessness, but he soon recovered. "Well…thanks, I guess." He thought for a moment. "I guess you found my fists more convincing than my words, huh?" he asked with a smirk. "I don't think that's how it's supposed to work. Usually people don't want to be my friend after I punch them."

"Friend?" Neji said in surprise.

"Well if you plan to help me become Hokage, yeah," Naruto replied with a grin. "It's been my dream for as long as I can remember, even when no one thought I could be a ninja at all. So I think anyone who thinks I can make it, or wants to help me, is a friend. And as for the other part, well, I may not be a prodigy like you, or the most brilliant guy around, but I keep my word."

Neji regarded him for a moment, and then nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good luck in the rest of the tournament," he said, turning to go.

"Thanks," Naruto replied. "I bet you'll win next time. After all, you won't be up against me."

Neji's lips quirked slightly at that, though it wasn't quite a smile. "At least your confidence seems to be that of a Hokage," he remarked.

…

Hyuuga Hiashi was shocked when Neji joined him in the clan's section of seats; he had expected his nephew would remain in the medical area or perhaps leave the arena. The young man gave him the traditional respect due to the clan leader, as always, but something seemed different about him as he awaited his uncle's acknowledgment and then sat down, taking a vacant seat among the branch family members.

Hiashi thought for a moment that there had been less hate in those eyes, that Neji's muscles seemed less like he was poised to strike when he looked at his family. For just a moment, Neji had glanced at Hyuuga Hanabi and Hiashi thought he might have seen something even more shocking: a flicker of hope.

He prayed that he had been right, but resolved to be vigilant. If Neji's hate had been passed on to Hanabi, as his actions in the preliminaries suggested was possible, then things could become very difficult.

…

When Naruto returned, he was surprised to find the third match over.

"What the hell happened?" he exclaimed. "I thought they were going to go on forever!"

"It looks like Shikamaru's smarter than I thought," Sakura said, glancing aside at Ino, who smiled slightly at the comment. "He suckered Shino; apparently he can use the shadows of other objects to extend his range. He kept that hidden this whole time, just waiting for Shino to get close enough that he could catch him."

"The next match will be between Rock Lee and Gaara of the Desert!" the proctor announced.

There was a bit of bustle in the crowd as a few wagers were paid off on the previous match and last-minute bets were placed for the next one.

"At last!" Lee exclaimed enthusiastically. "It has been challenging to wait when I am so excited for this battle!"

"Good luck, Lee," Naruto said. "I bet you'll get a chance to really show off now!"

"Ah, Naruto-kun," he responded. "I must win, for I am eager to face the man who defeated my teammate and rival, to test both of our abilities!"

"That could be a fun one," Naruto said, smiling back.

The other Leaf ninjas wished him luck before he leapt over the railing and down into the arena.

Gaara of the Desert disappeared from the balcony and reappeared across from him in a brief cloud of swirling sand.

"Begin," the proctor directed.

A few moments after that word, two visitors from the Wind Country quietly excused themselves from their seats in the back.

Gaara did nothing. He simply stood, waiting, as Lee assumed his combat stance.

Lee allowed his opponent a moment to prepare, then charged. His starting speed was enough to send murmurs through the crowd and raise eyebrows; he was moving fast. His first two jabs were blocked by Gaara's sand, which began to pour out of the gourd on his back. Lee broke off, circling to his left and trying a kick combination, but all three were blocked. He continued a few more times, only to find the sand beginning to encircle him. Lee tried to press the attack for a moment longer, but disengaged when it became clear nothing was happening. He fell back, rolling and tumbling to evade the sand as he gave ground.

Gaara was impassive. He looked exactly the same as he had when the match began, and had yet to move a muscle other than crossing his arms.

Lee considered for a moment, glancing up at Gai-sensei in the stands. When he returned his attention to his opponent, he smiled, then slowly removed two small packages that were tied to his lower legs.

"What are those?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"They look kind of like training weights," Shikamaru said with a frown. "But that doesn't make sense. Shouldn't he have taken those off before starting his match?"

The conversation ended when Lee dropped the packages, creating two small craters to either side of himself.

Lee was slightly pleased to note that even his opponent looked a bit surprised at that, his disinterested mask finally showing an emotion.

This time, Lee's movement whipped up air currents and dropped jaws. Most people hadn't really known anything about Lee before today, although a few knew he was Gai's student and took after his mentor very strongly. Now, people wondered how they had missed him.

Gaara's head was jerking around, trying to follow his opponent as Lee moved so fast he nearly disappeared from sight, actually seeming to blur occasionally. His first punch was stopped inches from Gaara's nose, and the kick that came after nearly struck the Sand ninja in the leg. The next three were close calls as well.

The sixth strike was a kick that dropped like an executioner's axe from above. It slammed through the few grains of sand that moved into the way in time as if they weren't there, striking him in the head and sending him stumbling to the ground.

Gaara shook it off and rose after a moment, sand pouring off his head to pool at his feet. After a moment he took a deep breath and it began to reverse its direction, returning to cover him once more.

"So you have armor to go with your shield," Lee commented. "A powerful defense."

Gaara said nothing, though he seemed to focus on his opponent for the first time.

Lee came in again, as fast as before. This time he tried to send the Sand ninja reeling and keep him that way, opening with a kick to the gut and following up with one to the back that lifted Gaara off his feet for a moment.

The sand seemed to respond faster now that Gaara was paying attention, however, and soon forced him to retreat without inflicting significant damage. Lee had no way of realizing that the armor itself consumed a significant amount of chakra. Against most opponents, reliance on such a technique would be a weakness that could let an enemy wear them down, forcing them to exhaust themselves. Gaara had other resources, however. As long as he didn't use up too much chakra all at once, he could rely on his powers to replenish his chakra reserves.

Lee unwrapped the bandages around his arms, thinking carefully. He could only think of one solution in this situation, but it was a gamble, and he might be stretching the boundaries that Gai-sensei had laid out; this technique was only meant to be used in important situations.

On the other hand, he certainly hadn't come this far to back down.

Lee took a moment to prepare himself, then charged for a third time. This time, he circled widely, trying to attract the attention of Gaara and his sand without getting too close. He was only partially successful; Gaara himself was trying to watch his opponent, but the sand stayed close.

Lee decided to skip any further subtlety or preparation, and hit Gaara, again with a kick to the gut. He kept up the pressure, striking his opponent repeatedly and sending him up into the air. The sand pursued, but couldn't catch up to either combatant.

Lee had struck Gaara, landed and jumped again at least three times before he moved into the shadow dance, aping Gaara's stance and taking a position right behind him as they began to fall back to earth. His bandages wrapped around the Sand ninja as the two plummeted, accelerating quickly.

Gaara cried out in shock and pain.

The impact was loud, kicking up dust that obscured the scene for a moment. When it cleared, Lee was standing tired but tall and proud, smiling in enthusiasm. If nothing else, he'd never had a chance to use the Lotus before, except in practice.

When he was visible, it became apparent that Gaara had hit hard. One hand had a few drops of blood on it, which he gazed at in frozen horror. He let out a second scream as he put his hand to his forehead and it came away wet. Suddenly he stared at Lee, his head jerking unnaturally as his sand bore him up off the ground and deposited him back on his feet.

As he rose, everyone could see the sand reforming the gourd on his back.

"Man, he still had a card to play in that situation?" Naruto wondered. "This guy's defense is insane. A sand shield, sand armor, and now that gourd too?"

"He must have used it to cushion the fall," Sakura said. "But I don't understand; he's barely bleeding, so why does he seem so shocked?"

"No one has ever made Gaara bleed!" Kankurou blurted without thinking. He and Temari were transfixed by the sight of blood on their brother's hand and forehead. For a moment, when Gaara looked at Lee, Temari thought she saw fear in his eyes. It was unthinkable.

"What!" Sakura answered. "He's never been injured on a mission? At all?"

"You don't understand," Temari said disbelievingly. "He has never bled in his life."

That caused shock among the Leaf rookies, and all were soon staring at the two combatants below in wonder. The Sand ninjas were in disbelief that a Leaf genin had managed to hurt their younger brother, however trivially. The Leaf ninjas were trying to comprehend how any defense could have gone unbreached so long.

Gaara looked up at Lee and gestured with one hand, hate written on his face as he sent tendrils of sand chasing his opponent.

Lee took a few grazing blows, but managed to avoid letting the flowing sand get a grip on him. He kept moving, though it was obvious to everyone watching that he was in pain, and his legs seemed to hurt in particular. Still, Gaara couldn't catch him.

Finally, Lee closed the gap again. His speed had returned to normal, though it wasn't as fast as it had been when he drove Gaara into the ground. The Sand ninja had narrowly avoided being planted headfirst in the earth, thanks to his sand, but had still taken a grazing blow to the head and a major impact to the body, even with his gourd to cushion the fall a bit. He was dizzy from the impact and the unfamiliar feelings of pain and fear. Because he was off-balance, he didn't recover in time for the next attack. Lee found it easy to avoid his flowing sands. The shield was too slow and the armor wasn't fully repaired when Lee struck him in the mouth with one fist, and suddenly Gaara could taste and smell his own blood. He marveled at the sensation even as Lee repeated his earlier falling axe kick, this time striking between the shoulder and the neck.

The clavicle bone broke, and Gaara screamed in agony. Immediately all of his sand began to solidify. The portion he had been using to attack flowed inward toward him, and the sand that was armoring his body or composing the gourd flowed out, forming a sphere around him. The sand was packed tightly and it hardened, growing stiff and impenetrable.

Lee tried to charge in at first, but quickly abandoned that idea when sharp spikes of sand began to protrude from the sphere. He backed off for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next.

He was distracted by the sudden detonation from the Hokage's box.

A corpse came flying down from the height: one of the Hokage's personal guards, his body a bloody ruin.

Pandemonium descended.

…

Temari struck immediately, whipping her fan open and across in a sweeping motion that sent a gust of wind at the Leaf candidates. They were all caught by surprise, and a few nearly went flying off the balcony. While they were recovering, Temari and Kankurou had already jumped down to their younger brother, where they were met by Baki.

"We must defend Gaara until he is ready," Baki reminded the two of them.

He took a moment to deflect two shuriken and dodge a stray kunai, but the people throwing them were soon occupied by other opponents, so he stayed near Gaara.

"What are you doing?" Lee shouted in shock.

"They're attacking us," the proctor answered. "This is war, kid. Training's over. We need to interrupt whatever the guy in the sphere is doing; watch my back."

"Yes sir!" Lee replied reflexively.

"I am a bit surprised, though," the proctor said to Baki, his eyes flicking upward, where Sand and Sound ninjas were assaulting his comrades together. "To see you all doing Orochimaru's dirty work."

He charged as he spoke, beginning to breathe jets of flame at the three Sand ninjas in front of him. Kankurou hid behind his puppet and Baki began to dodge, but then Temari positioned herself directly in front of him and waved her fan, sending a gust of wind that extinguished the flames and forced the jounin backward.

"Temari, left!" Kankurou shouted. Even as he warned her, he was busy turning to avoid several shuriken thrown from above by a passing Leaf chuunin. That man paid for splitting his focus, taking a fatal strike to the kidneys.

Lee came sprinting in from Temari's left at his best speed. She leapt backward to dodge his first kick and blocked the second, hooking kick with her fan, then moved out of the way as Baki closed in. The Sand jounin was preparing to strike when the exam proctor returned, attacking with a staff. He thrust at Baki's chest and throat, and then swept low at the feet. Baki slipped aside from the first blow, parried the second to his right with one arm, and jumped over the sweep, kicking the man in the shoulder.

He followed that by slashing down with one arm, using the edge of his hand. When the Leaf jounin tried to block with his staff, the blow sheared through the wood and then the man behind it as well, Baki's blade of wind easily parting fabric and flesh.

Unfortunately for him, Temari was finding it difficult to keep up with Lee, who tried to aid his comrade. Although the blow was too late to save the exam proctor, Lee struck Baki firmly in the side of the head before he could disentangle his arm, knocking the man unconscious.

"No!" Temari shouted, sending out another gust of wind.

This one was the strongest yet, kicking up dust and sending Lee flying back towards the arena walls. It caused a swirling wind that distracted combatants throughout the entire arena. One Leaf chuunin who had happened to be in midair above the seats at the time was sent wildly off course, pitching into a pillar shoulder-first. He was so stunned by the impact that he couldn't defend himself effectively when a nearby Sand ninja slit his throat.

Lee was lucky, however; two of Naruto's clones got in his way, catching him and absorbing his momentum as they burst.

The other Leaf candidates had recovered now, and Team 7 had jumped down to help Lee while Ino, Shikamaru and Shino guarded Kabuto, who had revealed he was a medic. In the absence of orders, those four were moving around trying to support other Leaf ninjas and provide medical assistance to the wounded.

"Are you all right, Lee?" Sakura asked.

"I am fine," he replied. "They are trying to guard the one in the sand as he prepares for something. We must not let him finish, but I do not know if I can pierce that defense; the sand seems to have grown even tougher."

"I think I have a technique that can break through that," Sasuke told them. "I'll need a moment to prepare it, though, and you'll have to keep the Sand ninjas off my back."

"No problem," Naruto answered. "Shadow clone technique!"

He summoned twenty immediately, sending them to spread out and attack Kankurou and his puppet. "I'll take care of the puppet guy," he said, following his clones.

"I guess that leaves you and me with the wind-user," Sakura said to Lee. "Any ideas?"

"I think we should hurry, Sakura-san," Lee said, taking off in an erratic course towards their target.

"Be careful," Sakura said to Sasuke as she turned to follow him.

"I will," he answered. He was obviously focusing hard on something, though he remained alert and aware enough of his surroundings to dodge the odd bit of debris, flame or wind.

…

"It is simply wonderful to see you again, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru said, smiling.

His smile had always looked like that, Sarutobi reflected: as if he alone were privy to some secret that you wished you knew, but would never learn.

Orochimaru's four subordinates were clearly positioning themselves in a square around the two, and the Hokage thought he could guess what they were there for.

His suspicions were confirmed a moment later, when the strange quartet simultaneously raised their hands and materialized a solid barrier around them, extending up at least fifty meters and closed on top as well.

He took a moment to inspect the barrier and look at the four who had created it.

"That's pretty good work," he complimented Orochimaru. "I assume it's closed below us as well, and that they can shield themselves from within to avoid becoming collateral damage. You put a lot of effort into this."

"For you, Sarutobi-sensei, only the best," Orochimaru answered. "There's something nice about fighting someone as knowledgeable as yourself, you know. Most of the people I've killed wouldn't even know enough to recognize the artistry of this technique. It makes things so much less fun; more like slaughtering an animal than killing a human being."

The Hokage looked at his former student sternly. "I shall have to see if you've kept up on your basics. If your skills are dull, I may have to send you back to the academy for remedial lessons."

Orochimaru laughed. "I think we both know that if either of us has lost a step, it's you. Still, I wouldn't want you to feel underappreciated, so I've prepared something special for later. A gift fit only for a man of your wisdom and experience."

The Hokage sighed, then removed his formal clothes, revealing the armor underneath.

"I can't continue this charming exchange, I'm afraid," he said sadly. "You could have been my greatest student, Orochimaru. But you never understood that the lessons which interested you the least were the most important ones. That is why you failed to become worthy of the title of Hokage. Power is the easiest quality to achieve, of those which are necessary to lead."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed and his smile vanished. "I lead my own subordinates now, you old fool. Your failure to recognize skill when it was right in front of you will be your end today."

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasted no more time talking. He charged, throwing a single shuriken and then multiplying it with the shuriken shadow clone technique. The barrage flew straight at Orochimaru, but he already had a response ready. His hand seals were completed only a moment after the Hokage's.

A coffin burst up from beneath their feet, the number one engraved upon it. Next to it another began to rise, marked with the number two.

The Hokage had a flash of understanding and immediately threw all of his will into disrupting the summoning technique being used in front of him. Like a genjutsu, this technique relied partly upon creating a chakra construct, although that was only necessary for the initial stage. He gathered his power and pushed.

He was gratified when the third coffin sank back down and disappeared, but knew that the small victory would not make this fight easy, by any means. It might make it easier, but that wasn't the same thing at all.

He felt tears leaking from his eyes as the coffins opened. It was strange to see his two predecessors, if only because their faces were so much younger than his own had become. He had long suspected that Orochimaru had mastered this forbidden resurrection technique, but it was still shocking to see him employ it so disrespectfully.

"You see?" Orochimaru said smugly. "A little gift, just for you. The gift of nostalgia, of seeing old friends again; isn't it truly unique? And of course, the pleasure of fighting those you once called 'master.' I didn't think it would be fair to keep that joy to myself."

"Orochimaru," he began to address his opponent, but the words deserted him. There was simply nothing else to say at this point.

"Kill him," Orochimaru ordered the two figures.

They stepped forward but the current Hokage struck first, sending a stream of white-hot fire at the pair.

The second Hokage blocked the flames with a massive wall of water created from nothing but his own chakra. When the two techniques collided they created steam that spread throughout the enclosed area, beginning to limit visibility. The few ANBU members who were outside were frustrated to realize that they could no longer even watch what was happening, let alone help.

…

"This one's dead, move on," Kabuto said almost immediately after beginning his examination.

"There are two more down to our left," Shikamaru told him. "With one of ours guarding them. Shino, take the attacker on the left. I'll freeze the one on the right. Ino, watch our backs."

The cobbled-together squad moved up, with Shino's insects leading the way. The lone Leaf ninja ahead was clearly hard-pressed as he tried to fend off two Sand ninjas by himself and prevent them from attacking the two wounded in the hallway behind him. He was trading punches and kicks rapidly, staying close to ensure that his opponents couldn't use ninjutsu or explosive notes.

The Sand ninja on the man's right twitched once when the first of Shino's bugs landed on him, then began trying to brush them off, but it was already too late. He screamed in fear as he felt hundreds of small legs crawling across him, visions of being eaten alive passing through his head until they finished consuming his chakra and left him unconscious on the ground.

The second was distracted by his teammate's scream, and didn't notice Shikamaru's shadow catching him from behind. He was defenseless when the Leaf chuunin in front of him slashed his guts open, then finished him off when he remained immobile.

"Are you injured?" Shikamaru asked, approaching the man.

"Just bruises," he replied. "What the hell is going on?"

"Sand and Sound, and that's all I know," Shikamaru answered. "Kabuto," he beckoned, turning to face the older genin, "it looks like this guy is alright. Check on his friends."

The medic nodded, rushing past to the two injured Leaf ninjas.

"This guy's artery was missed by a centimeter," he said aloud as he inspected the first. "Left arm broken in two – no, make that three places. It should be fine in the long run, though. As for her," he turned to the second injured ninja and began another quick inspection. "She's bleeding badly, but I think I can close this. Just don't let me get interrupted." He set to work healing the open wound on her side, carefully beginning to pinch the edges together.

"Trouble," Shino warned. "Two unfamiliar individuals are approaching."

"I'll take the lead," the chuunin they had rescued told them. "Nara boy and you, with the spear," he nodded to Ino, "stay close behind me and back me up." He turned to Shino. "You stay hidden. Watch our backs and protect the medic."

"Understood," Shino acknowledged.

"Sounds good to me," Shikamaru replied.

Ino just gripped her spear tighter. Five minutes ago, she had been looking forward to using the thing in an exam match against Sakura.

Now she'd probably be using it to kill people, assuming they didn't get her first.

Two Sand ninjas ran up, looking into the hallway and immediately throwing a handful of kunai with explosive notes at the seven Leaf ninjas.

"Stone Wall!" the Leaf chuunin cried, gesturing upward with his hands.

A dense wall of rock seemed to grow up from the floor in front of him, nearly reaching the ceiling before the kunai arrived. It shook from the explosions.

"Earth spikes!" he yelled, thrusting his palms forward, and now the rampart shattered as quickly as it had formed, the substance separating into a hundred small, sharp spikes that flew down the hallway toward the Sand ninjas.

One was too slow to react, diving for the end of the hallway but falling far short as several of the spikes pierced his chest. He began to catch himself, but the effort ended when another spike struck him in the head, killing him instantly.

The second Sand ninja was quicker-witted and faster on his feet. He saw that the spikes were concentrated at chest and leg level and immediately leapt for the ceiling, clinging tightly with chakra for a second and then dropping once more as the miniature stalactites passed beneath him. As he landed on his feet he was finishing his own hand signs.

"Wind spear!" he yelled, and air swept down the hallway back at the Leaf ninjas, coalescing quickly into a sharpened point. Ino and Shikamaru clung to opposite sides of the hallway and avoided it, but the chuunin ahead of them was less lucky. The spear clipped his arm, nearly severing it just above the elbow and sending him spinning to one side as he fell to the ground.

Ino jumped over her falling ally, attacking with the spear in her hands, but the Sand ninja was too quick, and he dodged every thrust and slash. He drew a kunai and parried her weapon to one side, moving in too close for it to be effective, forcing her to drop the weapon and retreat. She was fumbling for one of her own kunai as she gave ground, nearly freezing as she was confronted for the first time outside the exam with an enemy ninja trying to kill her.

The man stopped short in front of her, and it took her a moment to remember that Shikamaru was there. Ino was panting, eyes wide, as she looked back at her teammate. His face was straining with effort.

"Ino, hurry!" he urged.

She whirled to face the opponent and stabbed him in the heart, blinking in shock at how warm the blood was when it came out onto her hands.

She dropped the weapon and stared for a moment, backing away from the man she had just killed. She couldn't stop looking. She was transfixed by the blood – there was so much. It seemed for a moment like it would never stop pouring out of the corpse.

Her breath stopped for a moment at the thought of the word "corpse".

She started to breathe again when she felt Shikamaru's hand on her shoulder, turning to look at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding ashamed. "I'm just tired from my match. I couldn't hold him for long."

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, but it didn't disappear. She blinked and swallowed two more times before she could force herself to talk.

"It's all right," she croaked, before she got her voice under control.

"It's all right," she said more normally, starting over. "You were in time. You saved my life."

"Yeah," Shikamaru said quietly. He shook his head to clear it, turning to the chuunin lying on the ground. "Come on, we have to help this guy. Shino," he called softly, "is anyone else coming?"

"I believe a Leaf squad is approaching now," the boy reported. "We seem to be clear of enemies for the moment."

"Good," Ino said. "I really want to see a friendly face right now."

…

"This way!" Kiba said suddenly, taking the turn to the right. Hinata and Kurenai followed without questioning him, while Akamaru ran ahead, barking occasionally.

The four had been ambushed as soon as they left the arena to spread word about what was happening. On the bright side, Kurenai felt certain that the village no longer needed that warning. Unfortunately, she was certain only because of the giant snakes that had apparently been summoned in the middle of town, which were impossible to miss and something none of the defenders would have brought out, given the potential for collateral damage.

Besides, only one person connected to the village was likely to summon snakes, especially large ones, and he was no friend.

"Left!" Kiba yelled again, leading them down a narrow alleyway. His teammates continued to follow, although Kurenai found herself hoping fervently that the boy knew what he was doing.

The next turn brought them onto a wider road again, and they were just picking up speed when a gust of wind swirled around them, kicking up dust.

"That's far enough," the leader of the Sound squad proclaimed as he stepped out from a side street up ahead. "You're pathetic, running away in your own village. But at least you won't have to be pathetic for long."

They were an odd-looking group. Eight ninjas wearing forehead protectors indicating they were from the Hidden Village of Sound, five of them in very basic armor. Four of those had no apparent equipment except for the standard shuriken and kunai, with the leader carrying a sword on his back as well. The other three, however, were truly strange.

One had tubes sticking out of his hands in a manner that the team found familiar. The second was a hulking man wearing extremely heavy armor and carrying no weapons, while the third was a young woman with wild eyes carrying something that looked like a drum, but with symbols drawn all over it. It was attached to her belt, with the bottom pointed toward the Leaf ninjas.

"Split and obscure," Kurenai whispered to her students hastily.

"Kill them," the leader ordered.

The man with tubes in his hands raised his arms. "Air cutter!" he shouted, and a blast of wind spewed forth, knocking Hinata back. She went with the momentum of the wind, grabbing a table as she passed over it and tipping it over on its side to obscure herself from view momentarily and shield herself from the rush of air.

Kiba and Akamaru sprang in opposite directions, weaving through the enemies. The big man whirled, trying to catch the dog as it ran behind him and then between his legs, while two of the normal-looking Sound ninjas pursued Kiba.

Kurenai leapt sharply to one side when the drummer looked at her and smacked her drum with one hand. She stumbled for a moment as she heard a high-pitched sound that disoriented her, and saw the wall behind where she had been standing suddenly vibrate for a moment. The drummer continued to target her, missing every time. When she hit the same stretch of wall a second time, however, it exploded outward in all directions, the wood shattering like glass. Kurenai felt splinters dig into her exposed arms, and thanked her own paranoid habits that she was wearing light armor under her clothes today.

As she dodged, she threw a few kunai with explosive notes attached, then quickly began a familiar sequence of hand seals.

The drummer dodged the weapons, but it occupied her attention for a moment.

"Now!" Kurenai yelled to her team as she began one of her standard genjutsu.

Kiba responded instantly, throwing several smoke bombs at the ground, and the whole area was obscured for a few moments.

Kurenai heard Hinata rolling out of her cover and back into the fray. Akamaru growled, and one of the Sound ninjas began to scream but was cut off.

"Air cutter!" they heard again. The wind blew away the smoke, revealing a shocked Kurenai, Hinata and Kiba.

One Sound ninja had caught a thrown kunai in his left hand, impaling it to save his face. A second was on the ground with his throat torn out, the wound's ragged edges showing that it had been inflicted by Akamaru's teeth, and the big man had two kunai sticking out of his left leg.

The drummer and the one blasting air struck together at the members of Team 8 who were caught out in the open, and the three went down in a bloody heap, crying out in surprise and pain.

The Sound ninjas were satisfied for about two seconds, until they heard growling up above. When they turned to look, Akamaru was standing on a rooftop between four larger dogs, with a pair of pissed-off women with red tattoos on their faces standing on either side of them.

"Don't play with your food," the older woman said to the dogs, her eyes narrow.

The five canines leapt down, closely followed by the two women. The three animals which looked alike were running around and even over the huge Sound ninja, pulling at his armor and biting at any bit of exposed flesh.

The largest dog was a one-eyed monster that resembled a wolf more than anything else. The Sound ninja closest to it took one look and concluded that the scarred beast probably had more kills than he did, and promptly ran away. He didn't get far, though; Akamaru came in from one side and hamstrung the man as he ran by. The one-eyed dog had changed targets already, but the older of the two women threw a kunai into the man's chest as he clutched at his leg.

The younger woman was attacking the lead Sound ninja, evading his sword slashes and responding with a few shuriken. Just when he thought he had caught her, she suddenly dropped to one knee and stabbed him in the foot, simultaneously grabbing his wrist with her other hand and twisting until the sword dropped from his aching fingers. She broke the arm for good measure and grabbed the other, pushing the man to the ground on his face. The Sound ninja with the tubes was about to blast her with both hands when he suddenly dropped limply to the ground, his neck at an unnatural angle, as Yuuhi Kurenai reappeared standing over his corpse.

At the same time two other Sound ninjas were struck from behind, knocked unconscious as Kiba and Hinata reappeared behind them.

That left only the drummer and the large man still fighting. As his enemy fell to the ground Kiba was already crouching on all fours while Akamaru landed next to him.

"Beast technique!" he said, and he and Akamaru each took on the form of a more animalistic version of himself. The pair began to run towards the big man and the three dogs harassing him bit at his ankles, forcing him to turn his back toward Kiba. The genin and his dog began to spin, flying through the air towards their enemy. They hit him in the back with their full force, knocking him to the ground on his stomach and springing off. The impact crushed the man against the ground and he coughed blood onto the cobblestones, then began struggling to rise again.

He never got the chance. The three dogs returned, and this time they stayed on him until he stopped moving.

The drummer was spinning wildly, letting off blasts of destructive sound in every direction in an effort to keep her opponents at bay, but the older woman and her dog circled her, pushing her until she finally made a mistake and left herself open to one of them. The animal managed to get a grip on her hand, shaking her fiercely as she cried out and dragging her to the ground. The wrist broke, and a moment later the woman finished her off.

"Good boy, Akamaru," Kiba said, patting his dog affectionately on the head. "I knew your nose could find us some backup."

"Is anyone injured?" Kurenai asked, looking around.

"No," Hinata answered for everyone. "I don't see anyone else following us."

"We have to get moving," Inuzuka Tsume, the older woman, told her. Her eyes flicked to Kiba to reassure herself that her son was unharmed. "We're reinforcing the academy."

Kurenai gave it only a moment's thought. "Then we're reinforcing you. Lead the way."

"Kuromaru," Tsume called her dog, "lead on. We're in a hurry."

The group took off as fast as they could, leaving the battlefield behind them as they prepared for the next fight.

"Why the academy?" Kurenai asked. "Shouldn't they have evacuated all the students by now?"

"They should," Tsume said, "but they haven't. I just came from command, and they don't know what's going on. Iruka hasn't sent a message or anything."

Suddenly Kurenai had a flash of insight. "The tunnels – they run right under where I saw one of those damn snakes! They could have collapsed." She looked at Tsume. "The kids could be trapped down there."

"Damn, I hadn't thought of that," Tsume frowned. "I don't think anyone else did either. As long as they have air, that might actually be a good thing, though. They should be pretty safe down there."

"Not if the tunnels collapsed on top of them," Kurenai answered. She turned her head behind her. "Hinata, we may need your eyes to find some of our people underground. Conserve chakra if at all possible."

"Understood," the girl answered.

"How bad is it?" Kiba asked his sister seriously.

Hana's face was grim. "It's pretty bad," she answered without looking at him.

…

"Summoning Technique!" a distinctive voice bellowed near the center of the village.

When an absolutely huge toad with two swords strapped to its back appeared, crushing one of the three giant snakes that had been summoned in the middle of the village and instantly attacking the other two, the Sound ninjas didn't know what it meant.

The Leaf ninjas present immediately began counter-attacking, and the Sand forces retreated. They knew who had just arrived at the battle.

The white-haired hermit of Mount Myoboku stood tall atop his summoned ally, and he didn't say anything. He didn't joke, or laugh, or leer at the attractive-looking female ninja on the rooftop to his left.

He looked angry.

The Sound ninjas attacked him.

The Sand ninjas retreated faster as the head and body of the second giant snake crashed to the ground separately and nearly crushed several squads.

The first squad of Sound ninjas to jump onto a nearby roof and charge him were drenched in oil by his toad, and he breathed orange flames onto them, sending them plummeting to the ground like fireworks as the oil sizzled and popped. They were still smoking when they hit.

The second squad got closer while he was doing that, trying to engage him in hand-to-hand combat. The first attacker threw a handful of shuriken and then came in slashing with a sword. Jiraiya shattered the blade with a whirling ball of chakra he held in one hand, allowing the opponent's momentum to drive the man against his Rasengan, then kicked the second attacker off of his toad, letting the man fall to the ground. He never hit; the toad bisected him in midair while winding up for an attack against the third snake. The third attacker came in from behind and impaled himself on the nest of white needles that Jiraiya's long hair turned into, and the last died when the sage shattered his ribcage with a single kick.

The third squad's members weren't normal ninjas; they were some of Orochimaru's special projects. The first of those didn't even get to show off his powers; Jiraiya's toad smashed him into the side of a building with the hilt of his sword. The toad's other blade was pinning the third serpent to the earth by its head, which the toad proceeded to sever. The second of the ninjas seemed to be using some sort of sound-based genjutsu, but Jiraiya destroyed the chakra construct, freeing every Leaf ninja on the battlefield from its effects, and one of them killed the Sound ninja while he was reeling in shock. The third was trying to surprise Jiraiya but was caught in the toad's tongue. The animal squeezed slightly, once, and the man immediately surrendered when placed at the feet of a squad of nearby Leaf ninjas.

The last member of the third squad ran. The fourth squad followed him, and the rest of the Sound ninjas followed them.

…

Hyuuga Hiashi was a whirlwind of death. Once he had seen to it that his younger daughter was safely evacuated with a suitable escort, he had promptly turned around, ignoring the pleas of the elders and simply glaring at them when one had the audacity to suggest that he was too valuable to be risked in battle. He led several members of the clan in their part of the village's defense, seeking out the heaviest fighting or the place where reinforcement was needed most. When the hospital came under attack he diverted to help defend it, lending his eyes and those of his kin to the doctors between engagements.

When the tide of battle brought more Sand and Sound ninjas there, he went outside to fight once again.

Impressive as Neji's demonstration earlier in the day had been, Hiashi was a man fully grown. When he used Kaiten he could sweep a sphere ten meters wide clear of enemies and their attacks. He stood alone in front of the hospital wall, spinning, for half a minute without pausing. He deflected explosive notes, wind- and sound-based attacks, and shuriken, as well as simple debris.

After seeing that, the attackers realized they would have to commit to do any damage, and they went after him. The members of his clan rallied to defend their leader, and after-action reports found that no more than twenty Hyuuga managed to hold against twice their number without letting a single enemy into the building.

Hiashi was exhausted. He trained, of course, but he had not fought like this in years. It was inevitable that fatigue would cause him to make a mistake sooner or later.

The kunai flew straight for his throat, until it was smacked away with a burst of chakra from the hand of Hyuuga Neji, who stepped in front of his uncle and threw the blade back at its owner.

"Neji?" Hiashi said, feeling slightly bewildered.

"You will survive, Hiashi-sama," Neji told him. "You still have much work to do in the future, in service to our clan."

Hiashi felt that something surreal was happening. He stumbled, then stood straight and looked at his nephew – and adopted son.

"There is much work for both of us, if we live through the day," he answered hesitantly.

Neji nodded slightly, surveying the enemies before them. "There may be."

Hyuuga Hiashi laughed. He couldn't help it. Nothing was funny, but he felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, felt hope that he had thought long-lost returning, and he could only laugh at the sheer joy of it. Damn the battle, forget the circumstances, he was drunk on the happiness of hearing that maybe it wasn't too late.

Suddenly, he felt younger than he had in years.

He resumed his stance, and he and Neji charged back into battle together.

It became a legend among the clan in the years after. The strongest of two generations, fighting side by side, sending their enemies to death's embrace. Hiashi's sudden laughter unnerved some of the enemies almost as much as his previous display of power.

As devastating as their counter-attack was, however, they were still outnumbered and fatigued, and they soon tired.

Hiashi pushed Neji out of the path of three shuriken, narrowly avoiding them himself, and the two rose again, shakily. They stood back-to-back with five enemies around them, waiting to see who would move first.

All seven of them were shocked when a dead Sound ninja dropped from the rooftop opposite the hospital with a bow in his hand and needles in his eyes, but Neji recovered fastest. He tapped Hiashi on the side with his hand and charged the nearest enemy, striking as fast as he could. The man evaded or parried his first three attacks, but the fourth struck him in the chest. Neji put all the chakra he could into the blow and hit the Sound ninja's internal organs; he punctured a lung and destroyed the man's heart, liquefying it inside his chest.

Neji completely ignored the two ninjas to either side of him, focusing only on the one he was attacking to ensure the kill. It was a gamble, but a calculated one.

It paid off, as the two went down in heaps, crumpling to the ground before they could attack his exposed back. Even if he couldn't recognize the man, Neji would have recognized the technique of Maito Gai as he broke the first man's nose and then knocked him out when he instinctively clutched at it. The second was turning towards Neji when Gai struck him in the spine.

Neji turned and saw Tenten standing near his uncle, checking to ensure that the other two Sound ninjas were dead.

Since he could see her weapons sticking out of them, he chalked it up to paranoid professionalism; Tenten didn't miss.

"Neji, Hiashi-sama, I am glad to see you are both alive," Gai said. "There are reinforcements right behind us. It's time for you two to take a break. Get inside."

Hiashi began to pull himself up to his full height, but Gai just looked at him calmly. After a moment, the Hyuuga clan leader nodded.

"Come, Neji," he said. "Help me inside. I'm quite fatigued."

"We'll watch your backs," Tenten said to Neji. "Whenever we don't you get in trouble, after all."

Neji looked at the dead and dying enemies around them, then back at her.

She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "This fits my definition of trouble."

Neji was about to shake his head, but thought better of it. Instead, he walked over to his uncle and helped the man get inside.

When they were through the door, he stopped for a moment to look up at Hiashi.

"I'm not sure whether to believe you," he said. "It's difficult to see the truth. But I will listen if you do the same."

Hiashi looked back at him and smiled briefly. "I can't remember the last time I believed in even that much. I'll take it. Thank you."

…

END CHAPTER


	14. War

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

"Chidori!" Sasuke yelled, plunging his arm directly into the cocoon of sand.

Gaara screamed within as the arm – surrounded by a corona of crackling lightning – penetrated his defense and he bled for the second time in his life. The sand that had been gathering closely around him lost cohesion and form, flowing back down onto the ground around him.

Sasuke pulled his arm out and backed off. For a moment he thought he had seen something through the gap, within the darkness of the cocoon. It had looked like an eye, but not of anything human.

"Slicing winds!" Temari yelled, sending a focused blast of air directly at Sasuke. "We need support down here!" she called.

Sasuke dodged most of the technique, but the edge caught his shoulder and arm, shredding his light armor and cutting into the flesh. He grunted and pulled out a roll of bandages, hopping behind a tree to quickly wrap them around the small wounds.

Gaara's cocoon shattered. When the sand uncovered him he stood there, looking as he had before, with small bloodstains on his clothes. Gaara reached forward, one hand each directed at Sasuke and Lee.

"Desert Coffin!" he cried, and his sand flew forward, seeking to envelop the two Leaf genin.

"Lee, look out!" Sakura warned from behind him. "The sand!"

Lee turned his head and immediately began evading. Sasuke was already doing so, his bandage forgotten amid the urgency of the threat despite the blood flowing down his right arm. Gaara's face wasn't impassive now; there was clear bloodlust on it, and he wanted to kill the only two people who had ever made him bleed.

In her urgency, Sakura was distracted for just long enough to let the arm of Kankurou's puppet get close, its blade stabbing at her torso. She narrowly dodged the poisoned weapon, striking it with a kunai, and began moving toward its wielder. Kankurou had barely managed to avoid being caught in this battle, but somehow he was still up.

Temari was fighting several figures that looked like Naruto, and didn't immediately realize that none of them was the genuine article. None of the battling genin realized it until Naruto kicked Gaara in the back of the head.

Most of Gaara's sand was chasing Sasuke and Lee. What little was left wasn't enough to stop Naruto's kick from connecting, although the force was greatly reduced.

Given that Gaara was again wearing sand armor, the blow did not injure him at all.

It did distract him, however. His concentration on Lee and Sasuke was broken, and he turned toward Naruto, now. He yelled in incoherent rage, instinctively sending much of his sand after this new threat, while some returned to guard him.

Sasuke took advantage of an apparent opening as Temari cleared out the last of Naruto's clones and left her back exposed, but she was sharp enough to hear him coming and avoid being taken out immediately.

Lee jumped to Sakura.

"Sakura-san, can you keep this one busy?" he asked, gesturing at Kankurou.

"I think so," she answered. "Why?"

"I may have a way to stop this Gaara," he answered. "There is some risk, but it is my most powerful technique. The lotus blooms twice, and I have only used the weaker version."

"Go for it," she told him. "None of us have managed to stop him yet."

Naruto was having no success getting past Gaara's sand, no matter how hard he tried. The stuff was quick, and couldn't really be hurt or damaged in any way.

Sasuke had Temari on the defensive when a pair of Sand ninjas jumped down into the arena. These two had been chuunin candidates as well, though they failed to reach the finals. The first was a young-looking blond man with a fresh scar on his face, while the second was wearing a mask.

The pair attacked Sasuke together, freeing up Temari and placing him in a difficult position.

"Naruto-kun, help Sasuke," Lee shouted.

Naruto didn't like to abandon a fight, but he was getting nowhere and if one of his teammates needed help then he was more than prepared to provide it, so he followed the advice. In the meantime, Lee began to run in a ring around Gaara.

Karasu was completely destroyed at this point, for all practical purposes, so Kankurou was forced to resort to fighting Sakura personally, which he loathed doing. He especially hated the fact that he was losing, until a gust of wind struck the girl from the side and sent her flying away from him.

"Is Karasu gone?" Temari asked, running up to him.

"Completely," he confirmed. Before he could go on, he saw Lee and his jaw dropped.

"What is he doing? How is he doing that?" Kankurou exclaimed incredulously.

"I don't know," Temari answered, frustrated. "I can't _hit _him, dammit, and I've tried!"

Just then, Lee suddenly accelerated and ran to Gaara, knocking him up in the air. Soon everyone in the arena was at least partly distracted as Lee sent his opponent higher into the air, then suddenly grabbed him and plummeted to the ground.

They hit hard, devastating the ground and sending dirt spraying outward.

Lee stumbled away from the impact site, twitching, and fell onto his side, gasping for breath.

Gaara was motionless from shock at first, but then suddenly he screamed again. This time the cry was different; it seemed to begin as pain, but then became something different. The sound rose in pitch and volume until it no longer sounded human. As he cried out, his sand flowed over him, coating him completely until it took the form of arms, legs, and two eyes that Sasuke recognized from his brief glimpse earlier.

Temari and Kankurou backed away in terror. Sakura, rising groggily from the ground, saw their reaction and felt a sinking sensation in her stomach that only grew stronger when she saw Lee cradling one leg, clearly in pain.

Then Gaara turned toward him.

"Die!" he screamed in the same inhuman voice, leaping forward toward his target.

Suddenly there was a sound like chirping birds and Sasuke was there, coming between the sandy form and its prey. His arm was sheathed in lightning once again as he sliced a line clean across its chest and his hand came out wet with blood, but the sand seemed to reform a moment after he passed, and now he had the thing's undivided attention. It swatted at him with one huge hand and he barely rolled aside. He ran, trying to lead it away from Lee.

It stopped chasing after him as the last of Gaara's sand flowed into the back and took the form of a tail. The terrible voice returned, letting out a howl of exultation as the figure began to grow dramatically, and Sakura saw Kankurou and Temari turn and flee, horror plain on their faces.

…

"That's the last one," Chouji told Asuma. "This street is empty of civilians."

"Asuma, we could use you!" Kakashi called from the battle around the corner.

"Good," Asuma told his student, glancing behind the building. "I want you to follow them and make sure nothing happens to them."

"I can fight!" Chouji exclaimed.

Asuma looked at him sternly, eyes narrowing. "Then you can do your job. Go!"

With that, Asuma ran around the corner to join the battle, readying his knives as he moved.

Chouji grimaced, but did as he was ordered.

They were more than halfway to the evacuation tunnel when the squad attacked.

There were four Sound ninjas, all of them wearing standard armor and gear. The closest held curved knives in both hands, and dove straight for Chouji, but he had the reactions of a trained fighter now and the man missed completely.

"Partial size technique!" he yelled as he released his chakra. His left arm grew to huge proportions and he swatted two of the enemies into a wall, ignoring the most immediate threat in favor of the greatest opportunity. The two were knocked out cold, and suddenly the odds were two to one instead of four to one.

The first man came back, though, slashing in two places. Chouji let the man cut his arm to protect his body; he hadn't worn his armor to go watch the chuunin finals, so he was almost completely unequipped for combat. Chouji stepped backward as the man advanced further, throwing a piece of rubble to his right where the second enemy was standing, forcing that man to dodge.

The second that enemy was on the defensive, he struck again. The Akimichi clan's signature size technique could allow them to grow, or it could be employed in a few variants. One was a bit easier to learn and required less chakra, while causing slightly less property destruction. He employed the Human Tank variant now, increasing his effective size and weight while turning himself into an almost perfect sphere and rolling over the man in front of him, crushing him to the ground.

He heard bones break and quickly returned to his normal form, whirling to face the last opponent.

That man was holding a woman by the hair. He had a knife at the civilian's throat and a wild look in his eyes as he stared at Chouji, then his fallen teammates. His eyes flicked madly in every direction.

Chouji stood still, looking at the man but doing nothing. The captive woman didn't speak, for fear that even that much movement might provoke the man into killing her.

Chouji saw her sister off to one side, holding her children: one boy and one girl, each straining against their aunt's grip in fear and confusion.

Chouji took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and calmly. "If you let her go, I won't chase you," he told the Sound ninja. "Do you understand? Just release her and you're free. Or you can surrender, and I give you my word that you will not be harmed. No torture, nothing like that, as long as you don't hurt her."

Seeing the ninja's panicked face, Chouji realized he'd overestimated the boy's age; this kid was younger than he was.

"I don't know what you've been told, but we're not all monsters," he said. "We keep our word. I'll help you if you just don't hurt anyone."

"You killed them," the boy whispered. "All three of them. Just you. Just one. No, no no…" his terrified whispers trailed off as he stood there trembling. It almost seemed like he couldn't hear what Chouji was saying.

"I only killed one," Chouji told him. "Your other two teammates are knocked out, not dead. Look, you can see them breathing."

The kid looked, and their chests were indeed rising and falling. That seemed to help him calm down a bit. He was still terrified when he looked back at Chouji, but it was a rational fear now, not an animal panic.

"I…you give me your word?" the kid asked uncertainly. "You promise?"

"You heard me right," Chouji agreed. "You won't be hurt if you surrender."

The boy nodded jerkily. "Yes. Yeah, I…I surrender."

Chouji nodded back. "Okay. Just let her go, and I accept your surrender."

The Sound ninja twitched for a moment, then began slowly pulling the knife away from his captive's throat.

There was a sudden explosion in the building behind him. The boy's hand jerked out of nervousness and reflex, and the woman bled as she staggered away, screaming. His eyes were wide and he suddenly looked at Chouji, mouth opening to speak and terror on his face.

Chouji's fist was ten times larger than normal when it crushed the enemy against the wall behind him, and the sound of bones breaking was sickening.

He ran over to check on the woman.

"Am I dying?" she whispered, eyes panicked.

He quickly wiped at the blood on her neck with a bandage and was surprised to find that the knife had actually cut her shoulder.

"You're going to be okay," he reassured the woman, "it's just your shoulder." He handed her the bandage. "Here, use this to keep pressure on the wound. You shouldn't be in any danger, but the medical personnel at the evacuation center can make sure."

He helped her up and urged the civilians to move again, heading for the tunnel into the rock behind the village.

…

Asuma returned to the battle and saw what Kakashi had meant; they were up against two squads of Sound ninjas supported by a single squad from Sand and the leader of the Sound ninjas had summoned a pair of snakes. While they weren't giants, they were still large enough to crush a man with ease if they got close.

"One each?" Asuma asked.

"I'll take the right," Kakashi confirmed.

With no further words they split up, charging around the periphery of the fight. There were seven Leaf ninjas in this fight, in total, and they needed to start improving the odds immediately. The only reason they hadn't lost more people already was that the Sand and Sound ninjas didn't seem to be very good at coordinating with each other. One had actually used a wind technique that unintentionally sent a Sound ninja's attack off course. While such mistakes were the exception, timing that was off by a single second could mean the difference between life and death when ninjas battled.

Of the other five remaining Leaf ninjas, four were a long-standing team of experienced chuunin with a jounin leader, while the odd man out was a genin from the Sarutobi clan. He wasn't accustomed to working with the others, but he took orders well enough that he wasn't throwing off their timing.

Kakashi suddenly turned and plunged into the heart of the fight, hand sheathed in lightning. He struck the first of the two snakes right between the eyes, killing it instantly and forcing two of the Sound ninjas to dodge to the side as it nearly fell on top of them.

When one of them tried to counter-attack, Kakashi read the man's attack with his Sharingan and left him on top of the snake with a severed spine, unable to move or even breathe.

On Asuma's signal, two of the other Leaf ninjas quickly breathed gouts of flame at the enemy. He augmented their fire with a wind technique of his own, strengthening the flames and sending them at a cluster of three Sound ninjas even faster.

One of those three managed to dodge completely. The second was barely singed only because he dove behind his teammate, who was closer to the burst of heat and caught fire immediately, though the fire was hot enough that the man died quickly.

The one who had hidden behind him was not much more fortunate. Asuma followed behind the flames as they dispersed, and his chakra-enhanced knives were as sharp as ever. They cut right through the man's kunai and then his head. He was about to turn toward the second snake when he was forced to change his plans.

The Sound ninjas were struggling to regroup from these losses, but the quartet from Sand stepped in. One attacked Kakashi with a wind technique that spun and advanced like a hurricane, while two with swords charged Asuma, and the fourth threw kunai with explosive notes at the other Leaf ninjas, forcing them to dodge. The obvious bid to cut off and eliminate the two best fighters among the Leaf group was a basic tactic. Even if it didn't succeed, it would buy time for the Sound ninjas to regain their poise.

Asuma held off his two opponents but they were forcing him to retreat, until he finally leapt backward and threw one of his knives. The Sand ninja dodged too slowly, and the blade – made sharper by Asuma's use of wind-natured chakra – passed cleanly through his chest. Its momentum was sufficient to send it right at a Sound ninja who was about to attack Kakashi from behind, forcing the woman to break off abruptly.

That left her partner alone in what had been meant as a two-on-one attack, and Kakashi took the man apart. He blocked a punch and grabbed the man's wrist, pulling him in close and twisting so that the enemy bent forward to keep his wrist unbroken, then spun behind him, slashed his stomach and kicked him toward his partner.

She instinctively caught the man, then dropped him to evade Kakashi's follow-up strike, but he never made one. Instead, he turned back toward the Sand ninjas while the Leaf chuunin struck her from behind.

In the meantime, Asuma had dispatched his second Sand opponent and was now trading punches and kicks with the last of the quartet, who had forced him to drop his second knife in order to avoid getting his fingers broken.

The entire fight changed immediately when two more squads of Sand ninjas showed up. Two of them immediately bracketed one of the Leaf chuunin with shuriken, allowing a third to hit him with some kind of long-range wind technique that nearly decapitated the man.

"Retreat!" Kakashi called immediately, charging toward Asuma. He struck the Sand ninja his colleague was fighting from the side, knocking him away. "Now," he ordered quietly.

Asuma nodded and did as Kakashi wanted, breathing a cloud of ash and smoke that blanketed the area to cover the retreat of the Leaf ninjas.

"Regroup and ambush in two blocks," Kakashi said as the six remaining Leaf ninjas sprinted away. "We strike once, then disappear. Don't get tangled up with them."

They could hear the enemy close behind them as they moved, and Asuma found himself wondering where the rest of the village's forces were. He hadn't seen ANBU deploying in force since the whole thing began.

…

"Is there any way we can speed this up?" Ebisu asked. "The kids are sitting ducks stuck in these tunnels."

"They're digging as fast as they can," Iruka said, gesturing over his shoulder to the two ninjas behind him. The pair was working in tandem to clear and pack the earth in the tunnel ahead. "Tokuma says they're almost through, and this is the last of the blockage before we get to the evacuation center."

"We're lucky he's here, then," Ebisu answered. "Otherwise we'd have no idea how close we were."

"Iruka!" Hyuuga Tokuma called from back up the tunnel.

"What is it?" Iruka asked.

"Trouble's coming," he answered. "Five Sound ninjas. I think one of them heard us somehow, or maybe found the hollow under the ground. We can hit them first if we move now."

Iruka turned and signaled one of the other teachers to take the students further into the tunnel, away from where he was standing. "Call it, Tokuma. You've got the eyes."

The Hyuuga nodded, preparing himself. "There are two there, two there, and one here," he said, pointing to three spots on the ceiling.

Iruka, Ebisu and the other teachers readied themselves.

"Now," Tokuma called.

The two teachers trained in earth techniques strained in concentration as they abruptly parted the tunnel's ceiling and then closed it again, leaving five surprised Sound ninjas to drop into the tunnel before they were ready. Tokuma was immediately on two of them, striking the first in the head before he touched the ground and hitting the second in the back as he struggled to overcome his surprise and regain his feet. Blood spurted from the second man's mouth as he collapsed, and neither rose again.

The second pair were more alert and better at teamwork. One threw several shuriken at Ebisu and Iruka while the second steadied them both so they landed on their feet.

The two instructors knocked the projectiles from the air and responded with their own, then closed in. Ebisu dropped behind Iruka for a half-second and then suddenly there were two of him, moving around his colleague to either side.

The Sound ninja on the right moved to block Ebisu and realized too late that the figure was a simple illusion, rather than a clone with substance. She recovered in time to block Iruka's slashes at her throat and body, but by then the two had managed to double-team her partner, and he was bleeding out on the ground, clutching futilely at his neck and his upper thigh where arteries had been severed.

The pair worked together perfectly in the narrow tunnel. When the Sound ninja managed to get Iruka between herself and Ebisu, he dropped to the ground and swept her legs, dumping her onto her back. Ebisu was already leaping over his comrade, and he threw three kunai into the opponent from midair before she could react.

The last Sound ninja was buried alive when he first hit the ground. The two teachers who had been clearing the tunnel opened a grave beneath him and then shut it over him, letting the earth swallow the man whole. His struggles shook the tunnel a bit, until he ran out of air.

"Status report," Iruka commanded once the fight was over.

"All enemies dead," Tokuma confirmed. "No others nearby. We have a squad of our own approaching above, with one of my clan looking at the ground."

…

"I see them, sensei!" Hinata exclaimed. "Teachers and students. One moment."

_Are you all together?_ She asked in hand signs.

_Two teachers dead, all students accounted for and present. Small cave-in delaying us; tunnel ahead is blocked,_ Tokuma replied with his own hands.

_Assistance required?_ Hinata asked.

_No. Tunnel almost clear. Proceed to other duties._

_ Understood._ Hinata replied, turning back to Kurenai and Inuzuka Tsume.

"They're all right," she reported. "A small collapse slowed them down, but the students are safe and most of the teachers are still with them. They lost two. One of my clan is with them, and they shouldn't take long to get through to the evacuation shelters."

"Ah," Tsume said, understanding dawning. "You could see each other."

"That's a relief," Kurenai commented. "What next?" she asked Tsume.

The woman shook her head. "You know as much as I do now. We report in on the status of the academy folks and get new orders. We're all still in fighting shape."

"That's the Hokage's building, then," Kiba said. "There was heavy fighting there, but it seems to have calmed down."

"Alright, move out," Kurenai ordered, leading the way.

_Good luck_, Hinata signed to Tokuma as she left.

_To you as well, Hinata-sama,_ he replied.

…

"We've got word on the academy students," a subordinate reported, running into the downstairs office of the Hokage's building. "There was a cave-in that blocked the tunnels, but they're almost done clearing it. They should be at the shelters soon."

"That's the last unknown accounted for," ANBU's second-in-command said, turning to her boss. "It's time."

"Agreed," the leader of ANBU said, nodding as he stood up. "Send the signal. Begin full counterattack. I'll stay here to coordinate."

Most of those in the room dispersed to their separate units, except for a few messengers and guards.

They were eager to strike back.

…

ANBU, composed of some of the Leaf Village's best and stealthiest, led the counter-attack. At first, they were so quiet that the invaders didn't realize anything had changed. The defenders isolated squads and even individuals when possible, picking them off one by one. More than thirty ninjas from the Sand and Sound villages died before word even began to spread that ANBU was on the move. Of those, many had improved senses or methods of detecting enemies; ANBU preferred to do its work unobserved, and killing the observers was a time-honored method of accomplishing that goal.

Secrecy could not be preserved long in pitched battle, however, and the invaders soon realized what was happening. Once they began looking for the ANBU creeping through the shadows, the second phase of the counter-attack began.

…

Several squads of Sand ninjas were tasked with holding open the line of retreat so their forces could escape when it was time. While it would have been ideal to crush the Leaf Village with the opening blow of this war, the Kazekage had been clear from the start; doing so would have required such overwhelming force that it would have been impossible to maintain the element of surprise. They would have to settle for a crippling blow that gave them and their allies a decisive advantage.

There was also the possibility that the Sound ninjas would prove weak; the new village was untested in war, and the Kazekage had also made clear that he had no intention of gambling everything on the skill of their new allies. If they failed, the Sand ninjas would retreat, so they could face the Leaf from a position of strength.

"Something is coming," one of the guards spoke up, frowning. "I can't tell what, the signatures are strange."

"You can't tell?" the detachment's leader asked. "What do you sense?"

The man shook his head. "Chakra signatures, but they're odd. Small and dispersed, I think. It doesn't make any sense."

A thick cloud of flying insects suddenly descended from the trees outside the village, nearly obscuring the sun as they fell towards the Sand ninjas beneath them.

The men were well-trained and reacted quickly; one even had experience fighting the Aburame clan. He let loose a burst of wind that knocked many of the creatures away from himself and those near him. The others tried to dodge at first, but followed his lead once they saw what he was doing. They used their wind to try to corral the bugs and threw explosive notes into the swarm, hoping to kill them before they could disperse again.

The guards nearest the trees went down when the rest of the bugs crawled up their legs. They hadn't even seen the creatures, having been so distracted by the swarm descending through the air. Their cries drew the attention of their comrades, but it was too late to help them as their chakra was completely consumed.

Now the Sand ninjas were down by a third of their number as the men and women of the Aburame clan revealed themselves, charging forward to fight. The Sand ninjas reflexively moved to engage their enemies, and several more were taken out when the insect clones dispersed and the bugs landed on them, leaving them as unconscious as their comrades.

The remaining few found themselves retreating to the center of the small clearing they now occupied, turning their backs toward each other as they looked in every direction for their opponents. The Aburame ninjas still kept themselves hidden, their insects flowing across the ground and through the air in a shifting formation, forcing the Sand ninjas to expend chakra to keep them at bay. Meanwhile, many of the insects were gorged with chakra and prepared to fight for even longer, having drained several of the enemy.

Suddenly, the Sand ninjas found themselves surrounded by billowing clouds of smoke, and they heard growls that seemed to echo through the forest around them.

The ones who stayed in the smoke were eliminated by the newly-arrived forces of the Inuzuka clan, or fell unconscious when they ran out of breath.

Those who managed to leave it found themselves trapped by the Aburame and their bugs.

When some of their colleagues tried to escape along the route later, the two clans ran them down before they could get far.

…

The members of the Akimichi clan spread out and ran down several of the village's widest streets, crushing any enemies they found with brute force and daring the rest to attack them. Those who did so fell afoul of the Yamanaka and Nara clans as they shadowed their close allies, and many were taken alive.

At one point the drive to retake the town was brought to a halt when several odd Sound ninjas made a stand, attacking with long-range techniques that the Akimichi found difficult to avoid. Blasts of wind and sound sent echoes through the air and walls crumbled. The ground shook as if an earthquake were about to begin as one squad acted in tandem, sending an unbalancing rumble through the air around them that left many of the unprepared Leaf ninjas vomiting or staggering to the side, struggling to avoid giving their enemies any openings. The other Sound ninjas counter-attacked, leaping into the fray with abandon as they sought to reverse the tide and take advantage of this opportunity.

Just as suddenly as it had started, however, the strange sound attack stopped. One of the four ninjas who had been maintaining it abruptly rose from his kneeling position and struck his comrades, killing them in rapid succession and then leaping toward the Leaf forces. He looked disoriented for a moment, blinking in confusion and looking in every direction as if uncertain how he had gotten there.

Yamanaka Inoichi sent three shuriken at the man and was waiting when he dodged with a knife to slit him open.

"Thanks for your assistance," he said to the dying figure on the ground.

Half of the Sound ninjas who were mixed in with the Akimichi clan forces found themselves paralyzed as the Nara clan made its move, and were quickly dispatched by the recovering Leaf ninjas.

The march picked up momentum once again.

…

All across the village, in the midst of pitched battle, everyone heard the inhuman cry of glee. Those who could spare a glance looked in the direction of the arena, and many could see the gigantic figure there, like an animal made of sand, with blue veins running across its surface. It was as tall as the arena and nearly filled the area reserved for fights.

The massive form swiped at Sasuke with one paw, and he narrowly avoided being crushed. He ran up the wall, looking over the form, and saw Gaara sticking out of the top, half-submerged. The mask he typically wore was gone, exposing his bloodlust and madness for all to see as he tried to catch the one who had hurt him twice now.

Sakura frantically grabbed Lee and pulled him out of the way of the rampaging monster's feet.

"Naruto!" she called. "Come on!"

Naruto was frozen in awe and horror for a moment at what was before him, but he quickly snapped to his senses at the sound of her voice and ran to Sakura.

"I have no idea how to fight that," she said to him. "We need to get clear."

"I might," Naruto responded hesitantly. He looked around for a moment, but the sand behemoth above them was barely noticing the attacks against it, except to swat the insignificant gnats around it when they drew its attention. Gaara's form slumped over and then disappeared further into the sand, nearly unreachable.

Sakura gasped when it looked like the thing's hand had hit Sasuke, but he jumped away just in time and she caught her breath.

Naruto felt his resolve grow firm.

"Sasuke, get here!" he called, before turning to Sakura. "Keep a hold of Lee, and stay close."

She looked confused but nodded, trusting that he knew what he was planning.

Sasuke tried to comply, but was forced to go over the building's wall to escape the sand creature, which began smashing buildings to get at him.

Naruto bit his thumb, summoned all the chakra he could and performed five hand seals very precisely, then struck the ground in front of himself.

"Summoning technique!" he cried.

Sakura was utterly shocked when Gamabunta materialized under her feet, suddenly lifting her to roof level.

Naruto laughed in relief.

"What's going on?" Gamabunta asked in a dull rumble.

"Hey, boss!" Naruto called. "We need your help! We have to get that thing out of the village and beat the guy inside!"

Gamabunta exhaled deeply, breathing smoke from his mouth as he surveyed the scene before him. "You're going to owe me one for this, kid," his voice said loudly.

"Fine, just help!" Naruto urged. "You said only to call if I need you, but I definitely need you for this!"

The few people who were close enough to see what was happening were utterly shocked by what they saw, although it was a pleasant surprise for the Leaf ninjas.

The sand raccoon turned around, having heard the commotion, and reared slightly in surprise.

"Who's this?" it said, the voice different now. It sounded more like an animal, with little or no trace of Gaara's voice underneath.

"Your enemy," Gamabunta answered, drawing his massive knife.

"Oh, sounds fun!" the creature exclaimed. "Let's have a party, then!"

Sasuke jumped up onto the massive toad, rejoining his team now that he had a moment to do so. "What the hell am I standing on?" he asked Naruto quietly as the two behemoths spoke.

"This is Gamabunta, the boss of toads," Naruto explained, loudly enough for Gamabunta to hear. "I figured if we were going to fight that thing," he gestured at the massive sand raccoon, "we'd need someone big on our side too. He's a bit tall for us to fight alone, you know?"

Sasuke gave him an appraising look for a moment, and then looked down at Gamabunta. "Well, I'm glad he's on our side," Sasuke answered finally.

As he finished, the sand raccoon opened its mouth and fired a massive, incredibly dense ball of air and Gamabunta leapt to one side, landing on several already-demolished buildings to dodge. The blast blew a gaping hole in the arena, turning one-third of the structure into a crater. The various ninjas from both sides who had been fighting scattered in every direction, trying to avoid becoming collateral damage of the battling behemoths which had suddenly appeared in their midst.

"Boss, we need to get that thing out of town!" Naruto yelled.

"Right!" Gamabunta replied. "Hang on tight. Use a fire technique when I tell you to!"

Naruto was about to explain that he couldn't use fire techniques when he realized he had someone right next to him who could.

"Sasuke, you hear that?" he asked.

"Of course I heard that," Sasuke shouted back, clinging to the toad's back for dear life as it sidestepped to the right, dodging another dense blast of air.

"Now!" Gamabunta ordered, spitting oil at the raccoon in front of it.

Sasuke hurriedly complied, squeezing out enough chakra for his dragon fire technique. He didn't realize until afterward how exhausted he was; he had used the Chidori twice today, and several other techniques during his match earlier before the battle had started. He was so tired he began losing his footing; it was only Sakura's quick reaction that kept him from falling off as Gamabunta made another leap.

"Thanks," he muttered. "I've got it now."

Sakura let go of him, trying to hold onto Lee without losing her own perch on top of the toad or injuring their unconscious ally.

Gamabunta swung his knife hard and overextended, leaving himself open to attack, and the raccoon jumped forward to take advantage, arms swinging.

The opening was a feint, however. The massive toad suddenly reversed his grip on his weapon and crouched low, then jumped sharply upward, using his weight and momentum to body check the sand creature up and cleanly over the village's defensive wall. The previous steps in the fight had been designed to get them both close enough to make it possible.

Their landing flattened a small hill and dammed the stream that ran below it. Gamabunta, who had known what was going to happen, recovered faster. He swung his sword upward and pushed forward with his legs, slicing through the creature's left arm.

It screamed in anger and whirled, catching him with a glancing blow from its other arm and preparing to spit more air attacks.

"Hey, listen up!" Gamabunta said. "One of you three needs to hit that guy inside the sand monster to wake him up. That's the only way to win this fight, got it?"

"Yeah, I understand," Naruto answered. "To do that I need to get close!"

"I'll get you there," the toad promised. "Just get it done. I can't fight this guy head-on for long."

They went airborne again and the toad intercepted the raccoon's balls of wind with his own spheres of water, sending a shower of rain and gusts of wind down on the landscape below.

"Now!" the toad yelled, leaping in.

He hit hard and thrust his dagger straight into the main body of the sand raccoon, impaling it and keeping a firm grip on his weapon.

Naruto jumped from Gamabunta's back as soon as they landed, heading straight for Gaara, but the creature noticed him.

"No way I'm going back yet!" it yelled, swatting at him with its right hand.

The distraction helped Gamabunta secure a firm grip, and the toad tried to intercept the arm with his own left hand, though his muscles were being overpowered.

Sasuke and Sakura threw explosive notes at the raccoon's eyes to distract it. The creature stayed focused on stopping Naruto, but they obscured its view enough for him to substitute a shadow clone for himself. When the thing popped the clone, Naruto was nearly at Gaara, and he didn't stop at its scream of frustration. He struck the Sand ninja in the jaw, waking him immediately.

Gaara looked disoriented, shaking his head to clear pain and confusion as he was knocked conscious. When he opened his eyes the strange creature's voice screamed one last time in anger, then seemed to fade away as if growing distant.

His eyes regained focus only to see Uzumaki Naruto's fist right before it hit his nose, and Gaara found a third person in his life who managed to make him bleed.

He screamed in surprise and anger and lashed out blindly with his sand even as the massive body beneath him began to vanish. The wave of sand sent Naruto flying backwards, and he began to plummet to the earth.

Gamabunta caught him in one hand and deposited the ninja on his own back.

Gaara was exhausted as well, at this point, and ran out of energy to do anything. His sand gently bore him to the ground and laid him down, then reformed into its typical gourd shape.

"I have to go back now; that guy hit hard," Gamabunta said. He set the four Leaf ninjas on his back down, then turned to look at them and Gaara. "You kids didn't do too bad. Oh, and you!" he jabbed his tongue at Naruto, "need to learn how to work with toads better if you're going to keep calling me. We'll talk about it later. For now, you'd better get him back home, and tell Jiraiya who you caught."

"Thanks!" Naruto called up to Gamabunta just before he disappeared.

…

Jiraiya was frustrated when he arrived at the arena; he had been looking for Orochimaru everywhere with no success. The initial reports had clearly stated that the Kazekage had taken Sarutobi Hiruzen into a barrier and was fighting him alone, and it was only later that the hermit had found out that the enemy in the barrier had used a forbidden summoning technique.

Now Jiraiya felt certain that Orochimaru was inside, but in the back of his mind he wondered where the Kazekage was. Was the man even participating in the attack?

Still, one concern at a time. First, he had to help the Hokage.

ANBU had met with no success in their attempts to breach the barrier that concealed the village's leader, but Jiraiya was considerably more knowledgeable in certain areas.

He carefully probed at the barrier with his chakra, searching for a weakness. Physical matter couldn't pass through, and the shield was being maintained by four people from within. It surrounded the area fully, so there was no gap to be exploited. All four seemed to be reasonably strong, and quite skilled in the use of the barrier technique.

That left brute force as the only practical option. Fortunately, Jiraiya was capable of applying quite a bit of brute force when it suited him to do so. He stood still for a moment, calming himself and shutting out all distractions and thoughts of the day, focusing only on the energy of the world around him. He was practiced at this, so it didn't take long for him to begin gathering natural energy, even though he rarely used the ability.

When he felt he had gathered enough, he opened his eyes, focusing all of the chakra to his right hand, and struck.

His fist stopped just short of the barrier but the chakra didn't; it hit hard, and the wall shattered, ripples spreading out through it. The two Sound ninjas who had been maintaining that side of the barrier clutched at their heads and the others flinched as the sage tore a gap in their technique and jumped through, but they were skilled indeed, managing to repair the barrier before any of the ANBU behind Jiraiya could follow him.

He didn't care. He had more immediate concerns, such as the scene before him. He pushed through the earth and trees that now filled much of the space on top of the building until he found his mentor.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was wielding a familiar-looking staff as he kept his resurrected predecessors and Orochimaru at bay all at the same time. The traitorous monster was wielding a sword, while the First and Second Hokages relied largely on their ninjutsu.

The Third looked tired, but he wasn't slowing down. Every movement he made was efficient, and he didn't waste so much as a single punch if he thought it wouldn't accomplish anything. All the same, he was facing three opponents in their prime and any one of them would have been dangerous in a serious fight.

Jiraiya's arrival changed things. The Hokage had just been considering taking a rather drastic step and attempting a fatal technique in the hopes of ensnaring all three of the opponents he faced, but now that the sage was here, his options had just shifted radically.

The Third threw his staff at the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and his hands blurred into a few seals. His eyes met Jiraiya's for a moment, but they needed no words to understand what the next move was; they had to take the reanimated Hokages out of play before going after Orochimaru. The two were essentially invulnerable to conventional damage. Complete incineration _might_ be enough to destroy them, but they were too sharp to be caught that way without drastic numerical superiority or other advantages that the two living Leaf ninjas did not possess, which meant they had to be sealed instead. Besides, there was no guarantee fire would work.

Jiraiya was relieved to find that his old teacher was not also fighting the Fourth Hokage; that might well have been enough to let Orochimaru win the day if it had succeeded, even against Jiraiya and Hiruzen. Their odds were much better this way.

More to the point, he didn't want to fight his own student.

The Third finished his hand seals and sent a blast of fire at Orochimaru, while Jiraiya leapt forward, attacking the First Hokage with a Rasengan. The village's founder sidestepped and reached for the sage's wrist, but Jiraiya was prepared and kicked off of the man's arm, releasing his Rasengan as the change in momentum took him over to his ally.

"Which one?" he asked the Third.

"The First," Hiruzen replied. "I'll set him up, you seal him."

Orochimaru attacked as they finished their whispered exchange, slashing at Jiraiya's face with his blade. A quick glance revealed the thing was poisoned, and Jiraiya took extra care to avoid even the slightest touch, bobbing his head and weaving side to side as he dodged backwards.

The Third kicked Orochimaru in the side as he passed by, but the traitor was quick enough that he only took a glancing blow, and he ignored his old mentor in favor of pursuing his new target.

The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, reentered the fray. He came at his successor, employing an acrobatic style that mixed sudden, short punches with powerful, sweeping kicks. The man was as skilled as the Third remembered, and now he was completely undeterred by the risk of damage to his own body, since the forbidden technique that had brought him back would see to it that his physical form was maintained.

The Third took a punch on his shoulder to slap a pair of explosive notes onto Hashirama's legs, then rolled around a tree and set them off. The blast shredded the reanimated man's limbs, leaving him on the ground, but he felt no pain and barely reacted. Instead of crying out as a living enemy would have, he simply changed tactics, hands blurring into seals Hiruzen recognized as he lay on his back.

The Third barely dodged in time to avoid the trees that suddenly sprouted around him, which grew into each other to form a cage. A moment later he was forced to do so again, as Tobirama reappeared, leaping forward in a kick at his face.

He gambled and led the Second through the maze of still-growing trees, using one enemy's technique to try to trap or at least slow the second.

"Jiraiya, now!" he called to his student.

Tobirama zeroed in on his shout, but the Monkey King Enma caught up with him just as he arrived, kicking him away from the Third and continuing his efforts to delay the Second and separate him from his brother. The two were an extremely deadly team; keeping them apart was a necessity if they were to be defeated.

Hiruzen was waiting when Hashirama limped out of the miniature forest to return to the battle, and struck at the man's limbs again, burning one arm to ash. Unfortunately, the First finished his technique just before he was hit, and spears of wood erupted from behind and beneath the Third. He dodged them as quickly as he could and his armor deflected two, but another pierced his flesh. He managed to take the strike in a non-fatal area, but he knew blood loss would hasten his fatigue and slow his reflexes if he didn't act soon.

Just as he stumbled, Jiraiya returned from his face-off against Orochimaru. The sage glanced at his teacher but ran straight for the First Hokage, whose legs were almost back now. He finished preparing his technique just as he arrived, unrolling a scroll from the pack on his back.

"Seal!" he shouted.

The First Hokage disappeared in an instant, and Jiraiya ran for his teacher.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"It's fine," the Third responded. As they spoke, he was focusing a small amount of chakra to one finger. He imbued it with his fire nature and pressed the finger to his wound, cauterizing it to minimize the blood loss.

Jiraiya handed him a roll of bandages when he finished, then went to join the battle between the Monkey King and the Second Hokage. Enma was covered in small cuts, now, and no doubt sporting bruises that were hidden by his fur. The animal's armor was in tatters, with holes cut in it and pieces missing, but the beast was loyal and fought on in grim silence, determined to do his part in this fight.

Jiraiya was about to go to his aid when he heard a faint sound back near the Third and instantly reversed course, breathing fire in a cone to his mentor's right. The flames forced Orochimaru to abandon what would have been a deadly surprise attack as the traitor returned to the open.

"You know, Jiraiya, I'm beginning to get irritated with you," Orochimaru said. "I planned this whole celebration just for dear Sarutobi-sensei and you're ruining it. On top of that, you brought uninvited guests; that's just rude."

"You didn't like my toads, Orochimaru?" Jiraiya answered calmly. "I don't know why. They're so fond of you, after all. And if you didn't want me to show up, you shouldn't have brought out the previous Hokages; I thought it was a reunion."

"Ah, I suppose I'm a poor host then," Orochimaru said, circling. "Perhaps I can make things more lively again!" As he finished speaking, four snakes erupted from his left sleeve. They slithered rapidly toward Jiraiya. He stomped on the first, crushing its head, caught the second inches from his neck, and dodged the other two. As they landed behind him, they were abruptly turned to ash by the Third as he leapt by, moving to help Enma.

Orochimaru followed that attack by coming in personally, slashing and thrusting in intricate combinations with his sword. Jiraiya continued to evade carefully, at one point losing his forehead protector as the blade sliced through the cloth that kept it tied to his head. He managed to retaliate with a blow that broke one of Orochimaru's arms, but the man simply straightened the bones and smiled as they repaired themselves within his body.

While Jiraiya wasn't thrilled with how things were going, he was confident that his allies would be returning soon, so he settled for delaying his opponent.

As the former comrades continued to battle, the Third and Enma were finding it difficult to pin down their opponent. The resurrected Second Hokage was fast and tireless, while Enma sported a number of minor injuries and now had a deep gash in one arm.

The Third was less injured than his faithful ally, but he was old, tired, and had already used a substantial amount of chakra. On top of that, he wasn't adept in sealing techniques the way his pupil was; they needed Jiraiya over here to finish the job.

He began to lead the fight back toward where his two students fought, preparing for one more burst of energy to deal with the Second.

When he arrived, Jiraiya was forcing Orochimaru to back off slightly with a burst of flames and toad oil from one of his allies.

The Third attacked Tobirama furiously, taking several punches in order to stab two kunai into the man's shoulders. He thought he felt a few ribs creaking under the blows. The last hit him in the stomach wound he had cauterized, opening it once again and forcing him to let out a gasp of agony, but he went with the momentum of the strike and fell backward into a roll, detonating the two explosive notes he had planted as he did so.

The Second's arms came cleanly off, though it was strangely bloodless.

"Enma!" Hiruzen called, gesturing to his old ally, and the monkey king leapt toward him, resuming the form of the diamond staff as he did so. The Third caught the staff and engaged Orochimaru immediately, employing every trick he had ever learned when it came to staff fighting and driving Orochimaru back a few paces. The traitor's arrogant smile vanished as his old teacher forced him to focus. Mindful of the dangers of Orochimaru's sword, Hiruzen parried the side of the blade whenever possible, trying to ensure that the edge would not cut his ally.

Jiraiya saw the Third's attack and turned toward Tobirama Senju. The dead man's arms were already beginning to restore themselves as he retreated to buy time, and Jiraiya didn't waste a second. He immediately gave chase, pulling out another sealing scroll and finishing the last few preparations it needed. His toad came with him, drawing a blade as it moved and leaping ahead of the Second to cut off his escape route. It slashed at the man, but he jumped over the cut and kicked the toad in the head, sending it face-first into the ground. He was about to follow up on the stunning blow when Jiraiya arrived.

"Seal!" the white-haired sage yelled once more, striking.

The figure dissolved into water as he struck it and the true Tobirama came out from behind a tree, striking at Jiraiya's back.

The moment he saw the clone disperse Jiraiya began turning, continuing to run in the direction he had been moving as he spun. He dodged two straight kicks but took a shin kick to the side of his chest. When the Second followed up with a punch from his newly-reformed left arm, Jiraiya managed to trap the limb and yank it toward the ground.

His toad had recovered by now, and cut the arm from Tobirama's body, once again leaving him unable to use ninjutsu. The animal then thrust forward, impaling the Second Hokage on his blade and stabbing into a tree behind him so that he could not escape. The man almost wriggled off the sword, but Jiraiya got there in time, finally sealing him into the scroll he had prepared.

With that done, he headed back toward the battle between Orochimaru and the Third.

He froze in shock for a moment when he saw the grim look on his old mentor's face and the tiny cut on his cheek. It was so small it would have been easy to miss, but he could tell from the Third's reaction and Orochimaru's smug smile what had happened.

The poison was already beginning to spread through the old man's system, and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that his reactions would begin to slow any second now.

Jiraiya returned completely focused, launching an assault on his former teammate, but Orochimaru laughed and evaded him.

"It's time!" he called to his four minions.

Orochimaru turned to Jiraiya. "Tell Sarutobi-sensei I look forward to seeing him again. I'm sure he'll be an excellent tool when I bring him back."

Jiraiya nearly lost control in his rage, but managed to avoid making any foolish mistakes despite the surge of anger he felt.

Orochimaru's four attendants released the barrier and gathered behind him in seconds, and the traitor led them away, still laughing.

Jiraiya reluctantly let them go, running for the Third. He picked up the Hokage and rushed him to the hospital.

…

END CHAPTER


	15. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either the story or the character) or any of its component parts or associated bits of intellectual property. I do think it's pretty cool, and enjoy examining it through the looking glass of "What If". The originator, Masashi Kishimoto, is a creative guy and deserves credit for his work.

* * *

"Tell me," Jiraiya commanded as the man walked out of the Third Hokage's hospital room.

"Mixed news," the doctor said. "We found an antidote to the poison in his system, but he isn't improving. When we checked again, we realized there's a second agent, but we don't recognize it. We can't find any way to neutralize or remove it. There are still a few more things to try, but frankly I don't think any of them will work."

"How long does he have?" Jiraiya asked.

"I can't say for sure, but it seems to be slow-acting," the doctor replied. "Days, most likely. Maybe a week until the damage is too much to reverse. We're lucky that the faster-acting agent was easier to counter."

Jiraiya chewed his lip for a moment, lost in thought. He turned back to the doctor. "Keep him alive as long as you can. I'm going to bring help, and I'll be damned if we're going to get back too late to save his life."

"I'll do everything I can," the doctor promised, "but if there's any way to help, it will have to be fast."

Jiraiya nodded and ran quickly out of the building, heading for ANBU headquarters.

…

"I need the most recent information," the sage said brusquely, "and I need it now. Do you know where she is or not?"

"Is this for the Third?" the ANBU member across the desk from him asked.

"Yes, so don't waste my damn time," Jiraiya snapped.

The masked man nodded, pulling out a folder of reports. He removed the one on top and handed it to Jiraiya. "That is the most recent data we have on her whereabouts. Some contradictory reports, but it should help you narrow things down. She's never caused us trouble, so finding her hasn't been a priority."

Jiraiya nodded absently as he scanned the page, memorizing the information there.

"Thanks," he told the man when he was finished. "I'll be back soon. Make sure you keep a tight guard on his room; the Third had enough enemies that someone might want to finish him while he's weakened, even without Orochimaru."

"We'll increase the protection since you're leaving town," the man told him. "Is that all you need?"

"Yes," Jiraiya answered as he walked out the door.

He was not happy to find two gray-haired figures waiting for him when he left the building. The man, Mitokado Homura, wore small spectacles and robes that were unassuming but scrupulously clean. His beard was thick but also well-kept. The woman, Utatane Koharu, wore similar but somewhat more fashionable clothing, including a sash. Her hair was in a tight bun, and her sole adornment was a pair of earrings that were on the expensive side of simple. Even the pins which bound her hair were fairly simple, although Jiraiya suspected that their points were sharp.

"What do you two want?" he asked without ceremony, beginning to walk toward the village gate.

The man's eyes tightened slightly, but it was the woman who spoke first.

"We must discuss who will be the Fifth Hokage," she said.

"Getting right to the point, huh?" Jiraiya said with some surprise. "It's premature. There may be no need for a Fifth just yet. And if there is, we won't be the ones deciding who will take the post."

"So you _are_ seeking Tsunade," Homura commented. "She has not come here in many years."

"She'll come for this," Jiraiya answered shortly.

"We cannot afford to defer this discussion," Koharu said. "We are at war, now. The village must have a strong leader. You should take the post of Hokage; someone else can be sent to fetch her. There is too much to do, and a small delay now could cost many lives later. You know we're right."

Jiraiya stopped and turned to face them at last. "That old man has given this village a great deal. I'm going to go bring back the one person who might be able to save his life, because she might not come back for anyone else even if they do find her in time. Regardless, I'm not going to be the next Hokage, so get that foolish notion out of your heads right now. And don't tell me that we need a strong leader; the ANBU and jounin can handle things for a week. We're not even sure we'll be fighting the Sand ninjas yet. Their Kazekage is unaccounted for, and he was the one who supposedly dealt with Orochimaru."

"You cannot be that naïve," Homura said, slight disgust creeping into his voice. "Half of the Sand ninjas have wanted this war, and they have no reason to back off now. If we show any sign of weakness they will attack."

"You sound very sure," Jiraiya replied, "but I don't agree at all. While the Sand forces committed were only a portion of their military might, they were a significant one, and the number we killed or captured was extremely high. Peace would give them a chance to get their people back and avoid fighting us. Their Kazekage is missing with no clear successor. And besides, you've overlooked an obvious point."

"And what is that?" Koharu asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.

"The Sand ninjas who want a war don't need it to be against us," Jiraiya pointed out. "Their money problems are a result of contracts being shifted out of the Wind Country, but many of those went to smaller villages as well. A war against the Sound should be even better for them than a war against us right now, especially if Orochimaru did kill the Kazekage as we suspect. Far fewer risks for them, and such a war will force the Wind Lord to throw more support to their village without antagonizing him openly."

"Perhaps," Homura said. "You seem to have made up your mind."

"I have," Jiraiya admitted. "Now I'm short on time, so kindly don't send anyone chasing after me; they'll only slow me down or get in the way. If you send anyone near Tsunade you could screw this up."

Homura looked indignant, but Koharu spoke before he could say anything.

"Good luck, then," she told Jiraiya. "We'll be waiting."

The white-haired sage left immediately, adopting a quick but steady pace as he started out of the village.

Homura looked at Koharu. "He would be a difficult Hokage to deal with."

She looked back at him. "You recall Tsunade's temper, yes? She would be no better. Both lack wisdom and neither is stable. Power isn't enough. Besides, the Sand's treachery shows we have become too soft. Years of peace…they can be pleasant, but it never lasts. And internal divisions often grow in such times."

"You are thinking of the Uchiha?" Homura asked. "Yet that treachery was years in the making. I doubt an external war would have done more than postpone the problem."

"Perhaps," Koharu replied. "Either way, we must find a Hokage soon, and Hiruzen may not be around to take part in that process. We must seek another."

Homura looked at her for a long moment. "Do you think it is his time yet? He has waited long."

She looked into the distance meditatively. "Danzou may have waited too long. He's not much younger than we are, and we're certainly too old to be Hokage."

The two lapsed into silence as a few ninjas walked past, escorting prisoners.

…

"How do you do it?" Gaara asked suddenly.

Naruto turned to face the other boy, whose siblings looked cautiously at their brother within the cell. It was a simple cube with bars on one side, made by a Leaf ninja using earth techniques. All the proper cells were full, as were the parts of the hospital designed to let doctors care for incarcerated enemies. While the Leaf's decisive victory over the attackers was good, and the high number of enemies captured alive was a mark of the defenders' skill level, it had also caused some logistical problems. There simply wasn't enough secure housing available for all of the captured Sand and Sound ninjas. At the same time, the available Leaf personnel were busy patrolling, performing search-and-rescue for unconscious comrades, trying to round up any enemy stragglers, and handling the other tasks that were vital in the aftermath of a major surprise attack.

The result was that Naruto and Sasuke were currently stuck watching Gaara and his two siblings. Kankurou and Temari had surrendered when cornered by a squad of Leaf jounin after they saw their brother's defeat, and the three were being kept together. Their obedience was being assured by the simple method of sticking explosive notes to their foreheads, which Sasuke was prepared to detonate in the event that they attempted to escape.

After looking around for a moment to reassure himself that Gaara was speaking to him, not someone else, Naruto answered. "How do I do what?"

"How do you control it? How did you beat me?" Gaara's typically emotionless speech was contaminated by the trickle of frustration that leaked through. He looked at Naruto intently.

Sasuke saw that Gaara's siblings were watching and listening with expressions of concern and disquiet that looked genuine enough, but maintained his vigilance anyway. All three were demonstrably dangerous, even if they had been disarmed, and that word didn't entirely apply here; Gaara's sand could not be separated from him. Attaching an explosive note to him had been impossible until he had the idea of ordering Temari to do it. She had barely complied, looking terrified the entire time, but her approach had not triggered the sand as his had. He wasn't sure why, but had logged the fact mentally to be included in his report; the strange boy's techniques were fascinating, and he had no doubt that Leaf Intelligence would want to know everything about them.

Naruto stared at Gaara and just barely managed to hide his shock. Did the Sand ninja somehow know about his nature? As he asked himself the question, he thought of the presence he had felt when Gaara became or called forth (he still wasn't sure which) that giant sand monster, and he realized that it had felt familiar. He hadn't noticed at the time since he was busy trying to survive, but it had felt like…like the nine-tails, when Jiraiya had helped him talk to it.

Naruto didn't want to reveal his shock, so he scrambled for an answer. "The toad is my ally, I don't control him," he said, intentionally misconstruing the question.

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "How do you control it?" His hands balled into fists. "Why are you stronger than me!" he shouted. "How? Tell me!"

Sasuke cleared his throat meaningfully, holding up one hand in readiness to set off the explosive notes. Temari looked panicked as she reached over to gently grab Gaara's arm.

"Gaara, calm down," she whispered. "Please. If you cause trouble they'll kill us all."

Naruto and Gaara stared into each other's eyes for several long, silent moments.

"Gaara, please. Listen to your big sister, okay?" she begged. She locked eyes with Naruto, silently pleading for his help in calming her youngest brother.

He hesitated for a moment, and then looked at Gaara again. "I beat you because I worked with my teammates," he said quietly. "That's how. We were fighting for our home. For our families and friends. That's why I beat you."

Gaara blinked and lapsed back into silence. He kept staring at Naruto, but allowed Temari to guide him back into a sitting position. None of them said another word before the two Leaf genin were relieved by a new pair of guards. As they walked away, Naruto glanced back and saw Gaara looking at his siblings in confusion. After a moment the strange Sand ninja seemed to sense his regard and looked at him again, and for a moment Naruto thought he saw a familiar desperation in that face.

…

Homura and Koharu entered the meeting room last and took their places on either side of the seat reserved for the Hokage himself. The various clan heads were all present, and none appeared to have any serious injuries, although it was clear that they had come straight from battle. Hyuuga Hiashi looked tired, but he was also the only one who had been properly treated at the hospital yet. His clothes were elegant and clean, suggesting he had found the time to change before the meeting. To his left sat Aburame Shirou, who appeared almost completely unmarked despite the recent battle, although it was hard to tell given how little could be seen; his eyes were hidden by dark glasses and the rest of him by a heavy coat. The two men waited in silent, dignified patience, as did Shimura Danzou, who sat nearby on Shirou's other side. He looked as emotionless as usual. The oldest clan head present, half of his face was covered by bandages and he carried his right arm immobilized in wrappings as he had for years, supporting himself with a cane in his left hand. All three men were dark-haired and impassive, like unyielding stone in the face of a storm.

Akimichi Chouza, Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi sat together as usual, talking quietly as they waited. The Akimichi clan's head was by far the largest man at the table, still wearing bulky and bloodstained armor after the fighting. His long red hair was unbound and streamed wildly as he shook his head, disagreeing with Inoichi. He gestured with his hands as they spoke, apparently describing some part of the earlier battle. Inoichi was a tall but slender man with a long blond ponytail. His face was harsh as he turned to ask Shikaku a question, and the scarred head of the Nara clan replied deliberately as his two friends listened with care.

The Uchiha clan seat was empty as it had been for years, much like the seat that was kept open for the Senju out of respect for their role in the village's founding. Of course, the Senju's seat tended to evoke feelings of respect and even reverence, while those who saw the empty chair belonging to the Uchiha generally thought of the tragedy they had suffered. Still, enough years had passed to dull the pain of even that severe blow. Sitting next to the empty seats, Sarutobi Asuma was looking a bit uncomfortable at having been drafted to represent his clan under the circumstances, and one of his arms was held close to his chest in a sling. To his right, Inuzuka Hitomi's left hand tapped restlessly on the table as she waited impatiently for the meeting to begin, though she stopped when the Hokage's advisors entered the room, looking expectantly at them. She had the characteristic red facial markings of her clan, reminiscent of fangs, and dark hair that she kept short so it wouldn't be in the way. Her features were gaunt and severe, and one look at her face made it plain that her nose had been broken at some point in the past. She practically embodied her clan's reputation, radiating fierceness and energy even when sitting down. She absently began to pick the blood out from under her clawlike fingernails as she waited.

Finally, the head of ANBU was sitting rigidly as he glanced over the latest reports in front of him in preparation for the meeting, though his mask – carved to look like a bear – made it impossible to see his expression. At his side, the seat belonging to the jounin commander was vacant. When Koharu and Homura took their seats, he looked up and spoke.

"I believe that's everyone, so we'd better get started," Bear said. His left hand gestured to the two guards and they stepped outside, closing the door behind them. At the same time, he shuffled a few of the papers on the table in front of him.

"What about Honoka?" Hitomi asked, looking at the empty seat next to him.

"Dead in the counter-attack," he told her. "We'll have to discuss replacements, but that will be second. First, we have the latest on the Hokage." Bear looked at Homura and Koharu.

"We just came from there," Koharu said. "The doctors say that he has been poisoned with a compound they don't recognize. They are attempting to neutralize it, but expect no success." She turned her head toward Homura, who nodded slightly at her before continuing.

"Jiraiya has already left the village intending to track down Tsunade in the hopes that she will have the skill to save the Third Hokage. There is no guarantee that she will be able to do so, however, even if she gets here in time. He may not even be able to find her." His face grew solemn. "We must face the possibility that we will have to choose a Fifth Hokage without him. Furthermore, we must consider how long the village can afford to go without a Hokage now that we are at war."

Nara Shikaku cleared his throat. "I agree with you, but we should not be hasty. This assault was a major undertaking for both Orochimaru and the hidden village of Sand. They suffered heavy losses. They shouldn't be in a position to mount another such assault anytime soon, and they will likely want to fully understand the results of today before making their next move. I think we can allow a few days for Jiraiya to bring Tsunade back, at least, before seeking to appoint a successor."

"I agree," Yamanaka Inoichi chimed in. "Even if the Third chooses to step down, I believe it would be beneficial for morale if everyone knows he has chosen his own successor. He did well last time. As important as a strong leader is in times of war, we would be doing a disservice to the Fifth Hokage if we rushed his selection. I think we need the Third involved in this if at all possible."

"Perhaps we can compromise," Aburame Shirou spoke up. "I agree that we have some time and should not rush, but ignoring this need will not make it go away either, and we do not know for certain how long the Third may have – or how long it might take him to recover if he does survive. I propose we end this discussion for now, and each spend the next few days thinking about possible candidates. We can compile a list of possibilities. If the Third recovers, then we can submit the list to him as suggestions. If not, it will provide a starting place for our own discussion of his successor. We need the Feudal Lord's approval for any final choice anyway, so there is no point attempting to do more."

There were a few nods around the table at that, as everyone silently tried to gauge each other's reactions. Inuzuka Hitomi spoke up first.

"I think that's the best idea we're going to get," she said, "so let's just agree to it and move on. There's a lot to do. Last I heard our patrols are still tracking down stragglers; we don't have enough time to sit around wasting it."

"Agreed," Hyuuga Hiashi said. "Does anyone have an objection to Shirou's suggestion?"

Danzou spoke for the first time. "It is a reasonable compromise, but we must determine how long we will wait. Two days? One week? We cannot delay indefinitely."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"I don't think we can afford to delay longer than a week," Asuma said, finally speaking. "The Fire Lord will likely want to visit as soon as possible to discuss matters, with a war beginning. I suggest we wait either a week or until his arrival; whichever comes first."

Homura gave the younger jounin a small but respectful nod; it couldn't be pleasant to discuss his father's possible replacement when the man was still unconscious in the hospital.

"If that's decided, then I suggest we come back to the matter of the jounin commander," ANBU's leader spoke up. "I've given it some thought. Whoever the Hokage is, they have the right to appoint someone to the position, so I think we should choose a temporary replacement and leave it at that. They can fill in until there's time for a more permanent choice."

"That is wise," Danzou agreed. "Given the circumstances, I suggest we put aside the tradition that the jounin commander not belong to any of the clans for purposes of this temporary appointment."

"Some people will object to that," Akimichi Chouza responded. "The smaller families might feel that we're attempting to overturn the tradition for our own reasons."

"War is no time to be paralyzed by traditions," Hitomi said. "We need to pick someone competent who can do the job now. It's more important than ever with the Hokage out of action. I agree with Danzou's suggestion, and I nominate Nara Shikaku for the job. He's one of our best at tactics and strategy, and he's up-to-date on the situation."

Shikaku's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. While they had no enmity, he and Hitomi often disagreed. He was a deliberate and patient man, where she was decisive nearly to the point of recklessness. He hadn't thought her opinion of him was so high. Before he could comment, however, Sarutobi Asuma spoke again.

"I agree with both recommendations," he said. "While I'd prefer not to ignore too many traditions, we are talking about a temporary measure, and Shikaku has what it takes to get the job done. If not him, then I'd consider Hatake Kakashi."

There were a few moments of silence as everyone considered the two possibilities. Yamanaka Inoichi was looking at Asuma speculatively when he got the discussion moving again.

"You might be a good choice, Asuma," he told him. "Your arm will need some time to recover, and this post is a temporary one off the front lines. The fact that you aren't a clan head might also help, even if you're representing the Sarutobi clan here today."

Asuma's face showed slight surprise, and he shook his head. "I'll do it if you pick me, but I don't think I'm the best choice," he responded. He looked at Shikaku. "I know you've got other responsibilities as a clan head, but I'm sure you could find someone to fill in for you temporarily, and we could use your mind planning our next moves."

"Does anyone have any other suggestions?" Koharu asked. "So far we've heard three recommendations. Are there any other senior jounin that you think might be suitable?"

There was another moment of quiet as everyone considered the matter.

"Of my own clan, Aburame Shibi has the capability, but I believe Shikaku-san would be a better choice," Shirou said.

"I have no other suggestions, and I agree that Shikaku would be a good temporary choice," Chouza said.

"We have a war to begin," Hyuuga Hiashi said. "I agree with the idea of choosing Shikaku until the Hokage – whether Third or Fifth – is able to make his own selection. I also believe the Fire Lord will have no objections."

"Who else will support Shikaku for this post?" Homura asked.

"I will," Inoichi said.

"I already said I do," Hitomi added.

"Shikaku is an acceptable choice," Danzou said.

"It sounds like you're all agreed, then," the head of ANBU said. "Councilors, do you have anything to add?" he asked, turning toward Homura and Koharu.

The two exchanged a glance, then turned back to face the others. "We have no objections," Homura answered. "Nara Shikaku, will you accept the post of Acting Jounin Commander until such time as the Hokage can select your replacement?"

"I will," Shikaku agreed. "Thank you all for your confidence."

"That's two matters decided," Bear said. "Next, I think it's time we go over the preliminary information from the attack. It looks like our initial estimates of our own losses were low, unfortunately. The enemy appears to have made large-scale use of genjutsu in dealing with our close patrols and the guards on the wall, and our losses were heavy in the initial minutes. More than half of those we had posted on the perimeter are either dead or seriously injured and in need of time to recover. It looks like the counter-attack casualties weren't that bad for us, fortunately."

"What about the enemy?" Hitomi asked.

"We have a large number of captives," Bear replied, "including all three of the Kazekage's children. I understand one of them is apparently hosting the one-tailed beast, as well, which gives us a major bargaining chip if we choose to negotiate with them. I'd say we need to thank the kids that managed to capture him; that could be enough to tip the balance in how they act from here on out."

"What do we know about the whereabouts and status of the Kazekage himself?" Akimichi Chouza asked. "I take it he got away?"

"Actually, it looks like he was never here," Bear responded. There was some surprise at that. "The man pretending to be the Kazekage was Orochimaru in disguise; he impersonated the man to get close enough to attack the Third and trap him inside a barrier where no one else could intervene. We're still correlating reports, but there's nothing to suggest the real Kazekage was ever present."

"Could he have stayed in his own village?" Hitomi asked. "Simply moved to a private home and laid low for a few days to trick us?"

Inoichi cleared his throat. "That's possible, but there's something else to keep in mind. I've been working with Ibiki, and it looks like most of the Sand ninjas believed that the Kazekage really was here, leading the attack himself. I suppose he could have lied to his own men for operational security, but I don't see the point; they knew they were going to betray us. While it's far from certain, it seems possible that Orochimaru killed and replaced the real Kazekage in order to engineer this whole mess. If that's the case, Sand may never have truly decided to betray us."

"Are you serious?" Chouza asked in shock. "I don't care how sharp he is, I find it hard to believe Orochimaru could have tricked every single Sand ninja he had contact with."

Danzou leaned forward. "If the Kazekage is dead, we may never know the truth," he began. "It is also possible that Orochimaru colluded with the Kazekage and then disposed of him, or that he had highly-placed sympathizers within their village who assisted him in deceiving the majority of the village. Speculation is pointless until we have more information."

"Agreed," Bear said. "Ibiki is working on that right now, and the intelligence division is doing everything it can to get the most current and complete information possible from our operatives in the Wind Country. Until we know more, we can't even be sure who we'll be fighting in this war. If it's just the Village Hidden of Sound, even with Orochimaru leading, that's one matter. If we have to face Sand as well, then everything is different. Since we aren't sure yet, I think we need to discuss what the other villages are likely to do." He turned toward Koharu and Homura. "What do you think?"

The two councilors conferred for a moment, before Koharu began to speak. "I expect The Village Hidden by Mist will not get involved unless the entire continent is drawn into the war. The Mizukage is still relatively new, and she has been quite busy with internal matters. She seems determined to shake off the name of the Bloody Mist. As long as we don't threaten the balance of power in a way she finds concerning, the Mist ninjas will ignore the war, except to court clients more aggressively in areas where we have traditionally competed with them."

"The other two are of much greater concern," Homura said. "The Raikage has been building his village's power for years, and he may see any war as an opportunity to supplant us as the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages. We've had numerous incidents involving Cloud ninjas even in times of peace, such as the Hyuuga Affair. If Sand and Sound join against us, then the Raikage may well be willing to consider an alliance with them to weaken or destroy us. The distance between the Sand and Cloud villages means that any war between them would be nearly pointless, so such an alliance might last long enough to pose a true threat to us." He thought for a moment. "If that should occur, we might be able to find a way to draw the Mist ninjas to our side in order to prevent the Raikage from upsetting the current state of affairs too much, but we would likely have to make some significant concessions. The Mizukage isn't overly ambitious, but she is shrewd."

"What about the Hidden Village of Stone?" Bear asked. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on them as well."

Homura grimaced slightly. "They are the greatest unknown. They have no love for the Leaf village, but the Tsuchikage doesn't seem to trust anyone enough to ally with them for long. Their military is still relatively weak, and they wouldn't want to hand supremacy to the Raikage. On top of that, they have grudges against both the Mist and Sand villages. It's possible they might ally with us, under the right circumstances, but I'm not certain how long such an agreement would last."

"As much as I hate to say it, it sounds like we need to explore any possibility of restoring our alliance with the Sand village," Asuma said. "Am I correct in understanding that the Wind Lord has historically supported the alliance very strongly?"

"Yes," Danzou answered. "It seems unlikely that he would have reversed his position so suddenly. While the Kazekage is secretive enough to maintain operational security for an attack like this one, it is also true that he has been obedient to the Wind Lord in the past, even when they disagreed."

"It might be wise to make a political gesture to the Stone and Mist villages now, even if it's transparent," Shikaku suggested. "Something to remind them that we can be a good friend or ally to have. Even if it only encourages them to stay neutral, it could be worthwhile."

Inoichi spoke again. "I think we still have a pair of Mist missing-nin in custody from a few months ago. We might also be able to make some introductions in the Wave Country, given our connections there. We're going to lose contracts in any case; if we make the first move, it could mean a smoother transition and keep doors open for later, with fewer negative consequences for our civilian merchants."

"Hand back a pair of deserters and show off our economic influence without being heavy-handed," Hitomi summed up. "I like it. We don't give up enough to seem desperate, but it sends the right message. The Mist ninjas get more competition for contracts from the Village Hidden by Clouds, anyway, so it shouldn't take much."

"What about the Village Hidden by Stone?" Asuma asked. "Any other thoughts on them?"

Hiashi cleared his throat. "The Tsuchikage is an unashamed pragmatist," he commented. "He will not start anything. In any even conflict, I doubt he will get involved. If the conflict is uneven, he will likely try to tip the balance at minimal risk. Either way, he will wait for the situation to become clear. There is no point in taking action yet."

"I agree," Koharu said. "The Tsuchikage is predictably self-interested. If he sees a chance to settle a grudge at low risk, he will seize it, but he won't do so unless victory seems sure. For now, there is nothing more to be done."

"What of the Village Hidden by the Clouds?" Aburame Shirou asked. "Is there any way we could discourage the Raikage from hostile action in advance?"

"The current Raikage is somewhat unpredictable," Homura responded. "He has quite a temper. On the other hand, while he has sought to improve his village's position, he has yet to initiate any major conflict. It's difficult to say what he might do. If we are able to restore and stabilize our alliance with the Sand village, then I expect he won't attack us; the risks would outweigh the potential benefits."

"In that case, we need to discuss how to handle the Sand Village," Asuma said. "I know we need more information, but how long do we wait before making our next move?"

"I don't think we should wait at all," Shikaku answered. "I propose we release one of our captives and send him back with a message. Demand some answers and make it clear that we hold them responsible for their treachery until and unless they can conclusively demonstrate they were deceived. If we do end up re-establishing our alliance, I also think we need to insist on certain concessions, such as financial reparations. Additionally, we should demand some civilian hostages be sent to us if we release our high-value prisoners. We can't afford to appear weak, even if it turns out they were tricked."

"I agree," Danzou said. "Additionally, we should demand that they share all intelligence on the Hidden Sound Village and any allies or mercenaries affiliated with it, and that they commence immediate military action against Orochimaru's forces, including participation in joint operations which will be commanded by our personnel."

"If the Kazekage is dead, some of his advisors might be as well," Inoichi pointed out. "They'll likely be disorganized. And they'll have to be looking for any agents of Orochimaru's within their own ranks. That kind of internal chaos will slow them down, whether they're hostile or not. Still, I agree we can't go easy on them, even if they were pawns."

"Does everyone agree with the idea of sending a prisoner as messenger?" Bear asked. "I think we should pick a relatively senior Sand ninja – obviously one whom Ibiki has finished interrogating."

"Agreed," Chouza spoke first.

The others soon agreed as well.

"Alright," Bear said, "that's settled for now. The next order of business is to go over the immediate military situation so we can work out our emergency deployments for the next few days."

Asuma cleared his throat. "If I know the Feudal Lord, he'll be visiting soon. We should keep an escort force available. We'll also have to keep a force ready in case of escape attempts by our prisoners."

"I'm afraid there's one other matter to be discussed first," Koharu interrupted. "We've talked about the other four great villages, but there are the minor ones to keep in mind as well; particularly those which participated in the chuunin exams. From the reports I've seen, it appears that most of our guests are dead, whether they were candidates or observers. In particular, all of the visitors from the Village Hidden by Grass perished; they will likely demand an explanation. Only a few of the ones from the Waterfall Village survived, and the visiting Rain ninjas were also nearly wiped out. It's unclear whether this was intentional, but I suspect it was."

"Why would Orochimaru bother?" asked Hitomi. "He's certainly capable, but what would he accomplish?"

"Perhaps he wishes to distance them from us, or at least create tension," Homura answered. "Ninjas from smaller villages often resent us, as we all know. Some will blame us for the loss of their personnel in what they will call our war; it might be enough to keep some of them out of the conflict."

Shikaku shook his head. "That might work, but they could just as easily blame Orochimaru and choose to side with us in the hopes of picking up the pieces when the Sound Village is destroyed. There must be more to it."

"Regardless of what Orochimaru intends, we cannot ignore the situation," Koharu said firmly. "We should take steps to ensure our relationships with the smaller villages remain as they are, and soon."

"How would we go about doing that without making it seem like we're taking responsibility?" Inoichi asked. "The last thing we want is to admit we're at fault when we aren't."

"I'm not sure there is a good option here," Shirou responded. "Orochimaru has placed us in a difficult position."

"Let's look at them one at a time," Bear broke in. "You said the losses among the Hidden Grass Village observers and personnel were total?"

"Correct," Koharu replied. "And our alliance with them has always been a bit tenuous anyway. Many there blame us for the fighting that occurred during the last conflict against the Stone Village, since much of it was fought on their land. The fact that their leader was in attendance here and died in our village may bring past troubles to the surface." She looked at Homura. "I am not certain who is likely to replace their leader."

Homura frowned at the unspoken question. "There are a few possibilities, but I can't say which for certain. Their internal security has tightened a great deal in the last few years." He closed his eyes for a few moments as he struggled to recall the pertinent details. "Of the three possibilities I recall, I believe only one is pleased by their alliance with us. The other two have favored it as a practical matter, but not gladly."

"How much do they dislike us?" Shikaku asked. "Is there a chance they might be persuaded to fight against us on Orochimaru's side?"

That prospect seemed to shock several people at the table, including Hitomi. "If anyone else allies with Orochimaru, we have to come down on them hard. Make it clear that we won't stand for it," she said. "Anything less invites disaster."

"I doubt they would work with Orochimaru unless they truly believed we were at a disadvantage," Homura said. "If anything, the Sand's losses today should convince any other potential allies to think twice. That will be particularly true if it does turn out that Orochimaru double-crossed the Kazekage."

"Still, it would be best to avoid making any unnecessary enemies right now," Asuma said. "We should try to figure out how to handle them. Maybe invite them along to help us go after the Sound, since they killed Grass personnel. Joint operations could be good for both of us."

"It's worth considering," Inoichi agreed.

...

The meeting lasted late into the night, as the village's leaders tried to plan their next moves. In the meantime, many of the village's ninjas were assigned to guard prisoners, watch the perimeter or patrol the area around the village to ensure a second surprise attack would not be launched. Kurenai found herself leading Hinata, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru in slow circuit around the village as they looked for signs of enemies trying to approach – or trying to flee. While she had misgivings about taking Hinata out on a mission so soon after the battle, particularly since she was still recovering from the beating her cousin had given her, the village was too shorthanded for her to finish her recovery in peace.

Instead of mulling over the things she wasn't happy about, Kurenai thanked her good fortune that all of her students had made it through the battle intact. Not only that, but their immediate families seemed to have survived as well, which was more than many could say. Shino's left arm was broken and they sported an assortment of minor cuts and bruises, but Kurenai knew well that war could have a far harsher toll than that. Even Akamaru had only a fairly small cut on one side, which had been easy for Kiba to disinfect and bandage.

The squad paused occasionally when they detected signs of movement that might be from humans or summoned animals, but fortunately nothing happened except for a few encounters with other friendly units. Her three students were subdued throughout their patrol, maintaining a silence that seemed to be as much due to the shock of the day as it was to their professionalism and skill.

As well as they were doing, Kurenai was relieved when her team's relief showed up, allowing them to head home. They went to the Hokage's building to write out their full reports on the day's battle (having only made verbal ones to cover the bare essentials previously) before she sent her students straight to bed.

"I have no idea what kind of assignment we might have tomorrow," she warned them, "and it's probably going to be like that for a while. So get your rest and meet up early. I think we've got a busy week ahead."

They all acknowledged her words and headed home promptly.

…

After the meeting ended Sarutobi Asuma went to the hospital to get his makeshift sling replaced and receive some real medical attention. When he arrived, he found the place was still extremely busy. While most of the high-priority cases had been dealt with immediately, that left a lot of people with injuries that weren't life-threatening waiting for assistance. Some were napping in their chairs, clearly exhausted, and the patients were numerous enough that many were in the buildings near the hospital. There, those with lesser skills tended to people with lesser injuries, setting simple breaks or cleaning and bandaging wounds. Burn victims and others in dire need were mostly attended to at this point. The secure section of the hospital, used for the treatment of prisoners, was just as busy as the rest.

Asuma moved with purpose, but he was having difficulty finding Chouji; he knew his other two students were well. He stopped by his father's room only briefly, since he already knew his status. He was surprised when he nearly bumped into Sakura as she sagged against the wall outside one of the hospital rooms.

"Asuma-sensei!" she exclaimed in surprise, then quickly quieted herself with a guilty glance at the door. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be in the way."

"Are you all right, Sakura?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Fine," she said with a slight smile. "Just tired. In fact, I somehow got through today with some scratches and bruises, but nothing worse." Her eyes focused on his arm, still in its sling. "I guess you were a little less lucky. Is your arm going to be okay?"

"Sure, it just needs some time," Asuma answered. He glanced at the door, then looked back at Sakura. "One of your teammates?"

"Uh…no, actually," she answered. "Naruto and Sasuke are both alright. It's Lee."

She lapsed into silence after saying his name, and her face was troubled.

"Is it bad?" Asuma asked.

Sakura bit her lip. "I'm not sure," she told him. "Lee didn't get hit badly, but he used a technique called Lotus, or something like that. He said that it had some risks, but not what they were. I know he's not dying – the doctors said he wasn't getting any worse, that's why they didn't get to him earlier – but I could tell when I brought him in that he was in a lot of pain. We were careful but it seemed like just moving him at all hurt a lot."

Asuma grimaced slightly. "I hadn't realized Gai taught him that," he muttered to himself, before turning back to Sakura. "The Lotus is one of the village's most powerful hand-to-hand techniques, but it puts a great deal of strain on the body. It's pretty much guaranteed to tear muscles. It can damage tendons, bones and the rest of the body too. If he's alive and stable, that's a good thing."

Before she could respond, the door opened and Maito Gai walked out of the room, accompanied by a doctor.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you more yet, but frankly Lee is still a relatively low priority. We have a lot of wounded people, both ours and captives, and we're trying to save every life and limb that we can," the doctor was saying. "His condition isn't great, but it isn't deteriorating. One of the nurses will come by shortly to finish on his right arm, and we'll be checking regularly to make sure he remains stable. When he wakes up we'll let you know immediately. For now, it seems like he's asleep due to simple exhaustion, so he'll probably be able to talk to you sometime tomorrow."

Sakura relaxed visibly as she heard the words, but Asuma noticed that Gai still looked tense, if not grim.

After the doctor left, Gai looked over at Sakura. "You look like you need rest," he said. "But before you go, I must thank you for looking after my student. Had you not done so, the enemy might have found him while he was unconscious."

Sakura nodded slightly in acknowledgment. She looked like she was about to speak, but stood there for a moment, staring into space.

"Sakura," Asuma broke in, "you're dead on your feet. Go home." He smiled slightly. "Consider that an order. I don't want you back here until you've slept."

She blinked several times, shaking her head to clear it, and looked back at him. "Right. I mean, yes Asuma-sensei." She turned to head for home, slowly and carefully navigating the hospital hallways to avoid stumbling into people.

Asuma turned back to face Gai. "What's wrong?" he asked simply.

Gai looked back at him for a moment. "The doctor says the damage is severe. Lee has bone fragments in some of his muscles and near nerve tissue. Any strenuous activity could kill him, or paralyze him, or cause other problems. It might be possible to remove them surgically, but he said the risks would be great."

Asuma put a comforting hand on his comrade's shoulder. "He's alive. And he's tough. Don't give up hope yet."

Gai looked back at him. "All Lee has ever wanted is to be a ninja. If he can't return to duty, I have no idea what he will do. This _is_ his life, Asuma."

Asuma couldn't think of a good response. He knew that Lee had no family to speak of; perhaps a few distant relatives somewhere in the Fire Country, but for the most part his comrades were his family. The same was true of many others from genin like Tenten and Sasuke to chuunin and jounin like Iruka and Anko. Many were orphans following in the footsteps of parents they hardly knew, or had never known. Many became ninjas like their parents, perhaps hoping to find or forge some connection beyond the barriers of death and time.

"Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow," Asuma said finally. "Today has enough problems of its own."

Gai let out a deep breath and nodded at his colleague. "You're right, of course," he said, straightening up. "And when he recovers, I'll just have to train him better for next time." Despite his words, Gai still looked a bit saddened, however.

Seizing upon a sudden thought, Asuma looked around and pulled Gai to one side of the hallway. "This isn't for public consumption, but there's a chance we may have some help coming," he said quietly. "Jiraiya is trying to find the Third's last student to help him. Maybe when she's here, we can ask her to take a look at Lee, okay? If anyone can help him, it's Tsunade."

Gai's face brightened with hope. "This is wonderful news!" he nearly shouted, before looking around and lowering his volume to something more appropriate. "Thank you, Asuma."

"No problem," Asuma said, smiling at him. "I think we should both get out of here, but before we do can you help me find Chouji? I heard he was still here."

"Ah, I believe not," Gai told him. "He had to wait because he had minimal damage to his arm, but I heard him speaking to Sakura earlier. He went home not long ago."

"That's good then," Asuma said. "I'll catch up with him tomorrow." He looked around a bit. "Well, if all of our students are okay, why don't we go have a drink or two and get some rest? I was going to meet up with Kakashi and Kurenai at the usual place."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Gai answered, a bit more brightly than before.

…

Neji walked into the practice room and sank to his knees, showing respect to Hiashi. After a moment, his uncle signaled for him to sit comfortably, and did the same. They sat silently for a moment, using their Byakugan to look in every direction to ensure that they could converse in privacy.

Hiashi spoke first. "I'm not certain what changes can or should be made," he said quietly, "but if we begin this path it will be my life's work and yours, one way or another."

Neji nodded. "Many will resist change, in the branch families as well," he said. He looked Hiashi in the eyes. "If we are to work together closely, I will have to act more obediently," Neji said. That he would bury his resentment went unspoken, though both heard the words. "Fortunately, the combination of the exams and this attack should provide an excuse for me to alter my behavior without too many questions."

"Yes," Hiashi said quietly.

"You know that for this to matter, your daughters will have to become involved someday," Neji went on. "Otherwise, they could undo anything we accomplish."

"Yes," Hiashi acknowledged, "but I think that can be postponed for now. And it would be best if we keep this private for the moment, as others may not understand." He took a deep breath. "On the subject of my daughters, there is one thing I must say." He looked Neji squarely in the eye. "You gravely injured Hinata. You could have killed her. I think she has forgiven you…but I will not do so unless you apologize. And if you ever threaten her or Hanabi again, our collaboration will end in your death."

Neji didn't look away, though his lip twitched slightly. "She has not wronged me, and I will apologize. I no longer bear them any ill will."

They lapsed into tense silence again after that, until Hiashi returned to the conversation.

"The seal is at the heart of our problems," Hiashi said. "We both know this. Yet any attempt to abolish its use completely will be met with overwhelming resistance. I suggest we both take some time to think of alternatives. We will have to be careful in discussing these matters, but in that regard I have a thought. I will take up your training personally – after you displayed the ability to use Kaiten, others will likely see this as appropriate – and perhaps recruit you to practice with Hanabi and Hinata. Having an opponent closer to them in size and age would make a certain amount of sense. "It will also demonstrate to others that I believe you can now be trusted to act as you are expected to."

"I will likely be less available now," Neji pointed out, "and the same may be true of Hinata, for that matter. I won't ask for information you cannot give me, but it is obvious that we are now at war. That means there will be more missions, even for genin as relatively young as myself."

"True," Hiashi agreed. "We will see how frequent and how long those missions will be. But some opportunities will present themselves, and we must work slowly in any case." His eyes flicked to one side. "It appears our kin are approaching."

"We should continue this discussion later, then, Hiashi-sama," Neji said, mindful of the possibility of lip-readers. True privacy could be hard to come by among the Hyuuga, and while courtesy demanded that people refrain from observing others in private moments, curiosity and paranoia sometimes overcame that tradition. Given the past history between Hiashi and Neji, such curiosity was likely to be even stronger than in most cases. "Would you honor me with your instruction?"

"Yes, Neji," Hiashi responded, rising to his feet. "Assume the first stance, and let us begin."

…

END CHAPTER

Leaf Intelligence Division Preliminary Analysis: Sound Village Forces

While a more in-depth analysis will take time, preliminary reports suggest a strange discrepancy in training levels and approaches among the Sound ninjas who participated in the recent battle. Many seemed to know few techniques beyond the basics, although their proficiency was fairly high. The rest seemed to be lacking in areas of basic instruction, and often depended almost entirely upon a single ability. Those abilities were sufficiently varied and dangerous to present major challenges individually and as a group, but the odd training standards remain a curiosity.

Currently, the most likely explanation seems to be that training was limited because of how new the Sound Village is; Orochimaru likely had to accelerate and streamline training in order to have so many ninjas prepared for this attack so soon. We also theorize that he did not commit his best-trained forces to battle. Orochimaru would not hesitate to throw away pawns, but these forces were probably not his most effective; he likely kept those at home to guard his facilities and serve as training cadre.

As for the others, who boasted unique and often new abilities, it seems likely that Orochimaru used this battle to field-test them and gain data on their effectiveness. Given that he is always searching for and trying to invent new techniques, he might have wished to stage a major battle partly to test these powers in something larger than a squad-sized engagement. We should expect to see some of these abilities again. He may judge some to be ineffective and close those lines of research based on the results of this battle, as well.

Preliminary estimates for the battle indicate that between 60% and 80% of the Sound ninjas committed to the battle were killed or captured. Most were not trying to escape, suggesting either a fanatical devotion to Orochimaru or that they were led to believe this attack was meant to crush the Leaf Village completely.

Of those we have captured, many seem to regard incarceration as a death sentence. Some seem to believe that they will be tortured recreationally, rather than interrogated purely as a practical matter, and anticipate cruder, more painful methods than those we traditionally rely upon. The Sound ninjas involved in this attack also appear to have a lower average age than would normally be expected of a professional ninja force.

While the information is not yet confirmed, anecdotal evidence in several cases (based on the experience of the Intelligence Division's personnel) suggests that some of the Sound ninjas' weapons may have been manufactured in the Village Hidden by Trees.

…

Author's Note:

Thanks to all of you who have favorited or reviewed this story; I appreciate it. To reviewers, your input has been helpful, so feel free to keep offering opinions. To readers in general, thanks for sticking with me this far. I think it's fair to say that the writing has improved significantly in quality since chapter 1, and I hope it will continue to do so. While I'm tempted to go back and rewrite earlier chapters, I'm not going to do so, mainly because I want to finish this story one day and I think going back might kill the project in the long run; that way lies frustration and disinterest. In the meantime, I just wanted to acknowledge everyone who's stuck with me through the end of the Sound invasion.

I've found myself working less on humor than I anticipated when I started this project, but sometimes the story and characters override initial expectations. I think they're likely to keep doing so in that regard, but we'll see.

And lastly, a brief warning: don't be surprised if differences become a bit more pronounced from this point forward. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the ride as much as I am.


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